Yin Yang
by EveCodeBattleSeraph
Summary: Ara has no memories of how she survived the attack on her village, but she will stop at nothing to find her brother and take revenge. She would never have thought her desire for vengeance would drag her into a dangerous journey. With her new friends (and an annoying jerk) they will soon discover the dangerous secrets Elrois holds. A story of love, betrayal, loss, and friendship.
1. Prologue

****Edited** (I tend to edit these late at night so if something doesn't sound right please comment on it.)**

I learned two important things during mother's lecture. First, the afternoon heat was as comforting as a blanket, I was moments away from passing out. Second, it was much harder to stay awake than to pretend to pay attention. All I wanted was to cuddle up in my soft bed and drift into a land made of candy—that didn't help me stay awake much.

"Ara!" I yelped at mother's sudden outburst. Mother sighed and put her hands on her hips. "Can you repeat what I just said?"

"Umm," I forced a smile. "Y-you used a lot of big words. I-I don't know what you said."

Mother pinched the top of her nose and whispered something under her breath," I guess that'll end today's lesson." I held myself back from cheering. "Just remember that not all demons are bad. Good can only exist if evil exists."

"But demons are scary." I frowned. "If they were good Father and Aren wouldn't have to hunt them."

"You are too young to understand, daughter." Mother placed her soft hand on my head and smiled. "When you are older you will surely know the weight of my words. For now, my job is to introduce this concept to you."

"Then I wanna grow up soon," I said, swinging my legs back and forth. "I wanna understand grown up things too."

"In time, Ara," Mother slipped her hand off my head.

She strolled over to the walk-in closet by the front door and slid open the squeaky wooden door just wide enough for me to catch a glimpse of my grandmother's golden spear. A speck of sunlight bounced off the shiny blade, I had to squint my eyes under its brightness.

"Shall we get started on today's training?" Mother asked, taking out my wooden training spear in one hand and my shoes in the other.

"Yeah," I hopped off my seat and ran to her. "I need to work hard so I can be one hundred times stronger than Aren."

"That's a big goal, Ara." Mother laughed as she handed me my shoes. "I might need to increase the difficulty of your training."

"I can handle it," I replied, stuffing my bare feet into the shoes. "I need to if I'm gonna beat Aren up."

Most kids trained at Sandtilus Grave, they say the long trip there will help build stamina. Father didn't want me to train with everyone else because I often had trouble keeping up with the big kids. Instead, I trained at the Temple Of The Wind which was much closer to home.

Father and Mother used to come help me train, sometimes Aren would tag along and teach me, but lately only Mother was able to go with me. Father has been busy with work and Aren left for a month-long hunting trip. I wasn't mad, though. Mother was a good teacher and she always gave me a challenge

I was beating up wooden dummies, as usual, today while Mother watched from the side, sometimes she'd stop me to explain what I did wrong. I was almost done my training when I saw someone join Mother. I looked over and nearly squealed at the bearded man grinning at me.

Father got off work early! I thought, turning my attention back on the dummy. I need to make him proud.

"Falling Dragon!" I slammed my wooden spear down on the dummy, ripping it in two almost instantly. I cheered, throwing my hands up in the air.

"Wonderful job, Ara!" Mother and Father clapped together.

"Father," I ran into his big open arms. He lifted me up from the ground and crushed me with a hug.

"That was amazing, Ara." He tightened his grip around me. "I wish your brother could have seen you."

"When Aren is back I promise I'll do one-thousand times better!" I said, beaming.

"Come, let's go home," Mother laughed. "I will cook us up some dumplings for dinner."`

I cheered at the sound of Mother's famous dumplings, my grumbling tummy sang along with me.

As we walked home we talked about the many ways we could surprise Aren when he returned. I shared the idea of tackling him in one big group hug, Mother and Father agreed instantly.

We were almost home when we saw a giant black smoke rising from over the wavy hills of sand. It looked like a dragon rising into the sky, spreading its enormous black wings into the endless blue above.

Father and Mother stopped talking almost instantly and took off running to the dark cloud. When our village finally came into view my parents froze. Almost all the buildings were being eaten by hungry red flames, the streets flooded with demons. From where we were standing it was hard to see who was winning.

"F-Father?" I grasped onto him tightly. "What's happening?"

Father swallowed," e-everything will be okay." He answered with eyes glued on the village. "We'll h-have dumplings after I take care of these demons." He shakily placed me back on the ground.

"Please stay safe daddy," I wrapped my arms around Father's leg and looked up at him. He was smiling down at me but his grin showed no warmth.

It was a smile all adults would use on kids to hide the ugly truth, as Aren would say.

"We will, sweetie," Father kissed me on the head. Turning his attention to my Mother he added, "I'll be helping our men fight. Please don't do anything reckless while I'm gone."

"Be careful," Mother cupped Father's cheek and kissed him on the lips, Father closed his eyes on kissed her back. Mother's shoulders dropped as she pulled away from him. "We've never seen so many demons attack the village before." She whispered.

"I'll be fine," Father answered softly. "Go back to the house and get it. If it falls into the wrong hands we're in trouble."

"I understand."

"And once you get it," Father quickly added. "Get out and don't come back until the demons have left."

"Should I bring her?" She glanced down at me, unlike Father she didn't bother hiding her concerned expression.

Father hesitated for a moment," yes, I don't trust her being alone out here."

"I'll try to be quick," she said, scooping me up in her arms. I didn't have a chance to say goodbye to Father as Mother sprinted back to our house, Father took off running in the other direction.

I shut my eyes and wrapped my arms tightly around Mother as we entered the village. I didn't know what was happening but I felt Mother quicken her pace every time a nearby demon snarled. It felt like we ran across the entire world before Mother kicked open a wooden door. I cracked open my eyes to catch a quick glimpse of the crimson red staining the streets and buildings. Mother slammed the door shut before I get look at it any further.

She placed me back on the ground before rushing over to the squeaky wooden closet. She took the golden spear resting in the shadows without a second of hesitation.

"M-mommy, I'm scared." I managed to squeak, legs trembling as I approached her and embraced her leg.

Mother's tense eyes landed on me as if she forgot I was here. She softened her gaze and smiled," e-everything will be fine—"she stiffened as something thumped against our front door"—Just stay quiet and follow me."

I nodded and followed her from behind, I tried to force myself to go faster but my jelly legs refused to let me move any quicker. She swung open her bedroom door and gestured me in, I dashed inside without a second thought. Mother hurried in after me and closed the door behind her.

"Stay here," Mother ordered, eyes empty of all warmth.

"O-okay," I whimpered, silently wishing Aren was here to keep me warm and safe.

I didn't move an inch as Mother began digging under her bed. She spat out a few bad words as she pulled out boxes of jewellery and books from underneath. Once she had dug out everything from under the bed she began searching through the wooden cabinets set up around the bedroom. Her breath grew louder and louder with each useless item she threw out, her movements quickly becoming more frantic as time ticked by.

I bit down on my tongue as something slammed against the front door. Mother rocketed up to her feet, spear ready to attack whoever was trying to break in.

"W-what do we do now?" I asked in a whisper. The room seemed to spin as more demons sounded from the outside.

Mother smiled weakly," w-we must stay alive until your father and his warriors defeat these demons." She lowered her defences and examined the room," e-everything will be fine so please just relax."

I knew it was a lie, Mother was unsure of the results. I could tell by the sudden paleness of her usually rosy cheeks and the strands of hair left unfixed. Instead of disagreeing with her I nodded.

"Ara, go hide in that closet," Mother pointed to the large oak closet sitting across from the bed. "Don't make a single sound and do not come out until someone you know gets you."

"What about you?" I cried. "I-I don't want to be alone." I stumbled to her side, latching onto her cold hand.

"Ara," she pulled her hand away—tears rolled down my cheeks as her touch abandoned me.

She sighed and knelt down beside me, with eyes locked onto mine she said," I am going to protect you, just like how your father is protecting the village." She placed the spear down," if you are still scared then I will let you hold onto this."

I tilted my head as Mother brought her hands back behind her neck.

"Your Father gave this to me when we got married," she said, releasing a golden necklace from around her neck. Our family crest dangled from the shiny chain. "It has always been my lucky charm, but right now I think you need all the luck in the world." She slipped the warm necklace around my neck.

I shook my head, my face was drenched in burning tears. If Aren were here he'd accept the gift and follow Mother's order without question, but I wasn't Aren. I didn't want to be left alone. I wanted to Mother to stay by my side until all the demons were gone.

"Ara," Mother cupped my face in her shaking hands. "I-I need you to be a brave girl, okay? M-mommy can't do her work if you're a scared little rabbit."

"But I'm scared," I hiccuped. "Mommy, I-I'm scared!"

"I know, sweetheart." Mother's lower lip shook. "I-I promise we'll leave this village after I-I find the important item."

"O-okay, I'll be waiting for you to get me." I wrapped my arms around her, burying my face into her neck as the tears came down. Mother silently returned the hug.

"Stay safe, Ara." Her voice cracked. "Please stay safe."

She planted one last kiss on the cheek before carrying me to the oak closet. To my surprise the closet wasn't filled with a forest of clothes, there were only a few robes hanging with an emerald box pushed against the corner—the box was barely visible in the shadow of the closet. Once I was snuggled tightly inside Mother slashed me a tight smile before closing the closet doors. I only had a sliver of light to keep be safe from the dark.

I sat, with hands over my mouth, and listened as Mother resumed her search through one of the wooden cabinets. The sounds outside continued on but it didn't seem like anything was going to break in.

Eventually, my hands dropped from my face and my eyes began wandering around the dark space—there was nothing to see but robes and shadows. After a few more minutes of waiting, I decided to shuffle around and find a new sitting position, my legs were starting to feel tingly. I froze as my foot collided into the small emerald box across from me.

"Everything okay?" Mother asked on the other side of the closet door.

"I-I'm f-fine, just kicked something," I replied with a small giggle. "Sorry."

"Just be careful, dear."

With that, we stopped talking. I peeked out the small crack, Mother was barely in sight but I could hear her digging through the cabinet. Her bedroom floor was now littered with papers and boxes, I was surprised Mother didn't already clean the mess up. I leant away from the door and carefully removed my foot from the box.

I really hope there's nothing important inside, I thought. Maybe I should check just in case.

I held my breath and shuffled myself around to get the box. Once I retrieved it I gently positioned the box by my small light source, it shimmered under the thread of sunlight.

My heart began racing as I opened up the lid, it felt like I was about to break one of Mother and Father's rules. It was hard to see what was inside but I could still make out the white nine tailed fox hairpin.

"So pretty," I whispered, taking the hairpin out. It was strangely warm to the touch. "I wonder how it'll look in my hair."

Before I could admire the small treasure any further the sound of the splitting of wood ripped from somewhere in our house. I peeked through the small crack once again, my hands were now sweaty. Mother was facing the bedroom door with the spear pointed to the closed bedroom door.

I squeezed my hands around the hairpin as the sounds from the other side of the gradually grew louder, Mother tensed with each thumping footstep. I felt myself jumping back as the bedroom suddenly flew open. I bit back a scream and inched my head as close to the door as I could but all I could see was Mother, the mysterious intruder was just out of sight.

"Y-you," I felt my heart drop at the sound of Mother choking up. "W-why?" The spear in her hand trembled.

I held my breath. I wanted to run out and help Mother fight but I knew that would only make Mother even more scared. I had to be a good girl and stay put.

"I-I can't believe-" She began to cry. "Th-that m-my only-"

She never got to finish as something came charging into the room. I pried my eyes from the scene and I pressed myself against the back of the closet, the ground shivered from the sudden attack.

A high pitch scream ripped through the air. I instantly pushed my back off the wall to peek out the crack again.

That was the worst mistake of my life.

The demon was on top of my mother, its sharp claws slowly digging into her small fragile body. She had her eyes squeezed shut as the demon ripped her open, blood poured out like an endless river from the open wound. I wanted to vomit from the scene.

I looked away with tears streaming down my face and hands over my mouth. The air surrounding me seemed to thicken, making every spastic breath difficult to take in. After what felt like years of torture she grew quiet.

It was impossible to not scream as something cracked loudly on the other side, I could only assume the cracking was from her bones. They popped and crunched under the attacker's weight, it was like the sound of crackling fire.

The room fell into silence once the attacker was finished with Mother. The room trembled once again, this time the heavy footsteps were heading straight to me.

I could already feel the demon's presence on the other side of the wooden doors, its warm breath spilling through the thin crack between the closet doors. I shut my eyes tightly, bracing myself for the same torture mother went through—the white hairpin clenched in my hand suddenly grew warmer with each passing second.

I didn't remember much after that. All I recall was hearing a voice whispering into my ear, _do not fear. I shall protect you, daughter of the Haan family._


	2. Chapter 1

****Edited****

**This story was planned BEFORE Lanox was released. Please don't remind me that Lanox is Ara's home.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters and pictures used in this story, all rights belong to their rightful owners.**

**Hello, my lovebirds, and welcome to another one of my stories, this one is a MUCH longer story. So sit back and relax. It's gonna be a long adventure.**

**I also made some banners for each main character, I hope everyone likes them!**

I jolted awake in cold sweat, strands of dark hair stuck to my damp cheeks and heart beating out of my chest. This was a typical routine of mine, sleep, dream, remember, and wake up.

I cursed under my breath and buried my face in my hands. That's when the memories came rushing back to my damaged mind. I was brought back to the day I reawakened, alone, and drenched in my own sweat under the blistering sun. I could still feel my skin bubbling under the heat, the invisible chains binding my tiny limbs to the ground, and the foreign voices that entered my village days after—those travellers saved my life.

I shook my head as if it could wipe those haunting memories away. My eyes darted to the digital clock sitting beside my bed, 5:00 am was displayed in red.

"Looks like I slept in an extra hour," I mumbled to myself. I threw my legs over my bedside and got up. Both legs shook under my weight but I forced my way into the bathroom.

I stripped off my damp clothes and hopped into the shower, sighing as the warm water splattered on my fatigued body. I closed my eyes and allowed the warmth to envelop me.

All hope isn't lost yet. I reminded myself as I brushed my hand through my wet hair. Aren wasn't there that day. He's still out there—I know he is. This fact alone is the reason I bother to get up each morning.

After I finished my shower I dried off and changed into a traditional Sander robe (I made it myself). I accompanied the outfit with Mother's necklace and the fox hairpin

I glanced at the mirror one last time only to find a total stranger staring back at me. Dark bags shaded under her bloodshot eyes, and her face was painted with a sickly white. I turned away from the mirror, grabbed the golden spear leaning against the dirty white wall, and made my way out.

My stomach groaned as I walked past the small kitchen in my apartment," I never really eat much anyways." I mumbled to myself. Training was more important.

I hung my head low as I made my way down the stairwell. I mutely passed a few residents along the way but none of them acknowledged my presence, I gladly returned the gesture.

Goosebumps rose on my arms the moment I stepped out of the warm lobby. I hugged my arms around myself and trudged down the quiet streets of Elder.

Maybe I should've brought a sweater.

A car horn rippled through the silence, I yelped at the abrupt sound. At the corner of my eye, I noticed a familiar black van pulling up beside me. I smiled at the driver as she rolled down her windows," good morning, rookie!" Camilla greeted with a large toothy grin. "I'm surprised to see you out here. Usually, you'd already be training at the arena."

I smiled at my teacher," I sort of slept in today." I scratched the back of my head damp. "I promise I'll be there on time tomorrow."

"Don't sweat it, kid," she waved her hand dismissively. "It's not like you're ever late for a lesson anyways."

I sighed of relief upon hearing her response. If Mother caught me sleeping in she would have made me run ten laps around the village.

"You're already working so hard. Take a break once in awhile, I don't want you to overwork yourself." She added.

"I can't!" I replied almost instantly. "I need to grow stronger. I-I need to be strong enough to kill demons and protect innocent lives."

I took me long, agonising years to realise I could never hunt down the bastards that destroyed my family. It was only after I accepted the fact that I could never avenge my village that I turned to the Red Knights. They fought to protect people from bandits, murderers and most importantly demons. I might not be able to avenge my loved ones but I can still prevent others from going through my struggles.

Camilla's eyes softened at the mention of my family. She knew about my tragic past, yet, she didn't treat me like a fractured piece of glass," come hop in," she unlocked the car doors," I'll give you a lift."

I bobbed my head and entered the warm van," thanks for the ride, Camilla." I said, rubbing my frozen hands together.

"No problem," Camilla gestured to the brown paper bag between us. I felt my stomach turning with excitement at the delicious odour seeping from the content inside," You can have the burger."

"I-I can't have your food. You've already taken your time to give me a ride."

"Just take the food," she ordered, all the kindness in her voice vanished with a snap of a finger. "I can't have one of my students starving."

"But-"

"I won't train you anymore if you don't eat the damn burger." She said, aggressively turning her car back onto the road.

I bowed my head in defeat and reached for the brown paper bag. My stomach sung happily once I had bit into the freshly made burger, it took mere minutes for me to devour Camilla's gift.

"And here you thought you could go without breakfast," Camilla smirked.

The heat in the car seemed to intensify.

"Take care of yourself, alright? You're just a human, Ara." She took her eyes off the road for a brief second to look at me.

"O-okay—"I looked out the window"—thanks once again for the food."

"Just eat something before you leave next time," Camilla went on. "Hunger can hurt you more than you think."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." I lied.

* * *

"Shadow Rising!" I pierced the ground with my spear. Blazing darkness encircled me like a ring of fire, the approaching opponent crashed into my attack and was sent flying to the opposite end of the room. It was clear who the winner of this match was.

"You're so strong." My former opponent said in between breaths. "I hope we can spar again one day."

"I look forward to fighting with you again." I lied; I knew a weakling like them wouldn't be paired with me again, not unless they wanted to be humiliated.

"Camilla, did you see how easy that fight was?" I beamed once the opponent had left.

"That was very impressive," she said, scribbling something down on her clipboard.

"I think I'm finally ready to join a Red Knight Party, don't you think?" I proposed with a wink.

Camilla pursed her lips and placed her free hand on her hip," Ara, we've been through this before. You're far from ready to join a Party."

Her answer deflated my pride," what?" I blurted incredulously. "H-how can you say that? I'm your best student-"

"Stop letting your ego get the best of you." Camilla snapped. I held myself back from groaning. "Yes, you are strong in battle, but you are not ready to fight demons and protect people."

The trainees sitting on the bleachers giggled at Camilla's response. The weaker ones always find joy when the strong got scolded, I can't blame them, it's the only way they can feel better about themselves.

"What do you mean I'm not ready?" I asked tightly. "I've defeated _all_ my challengers. Yesterday I was able to take down a group of twenty people and the day before I-" Camilla held her hand up to silence me. I clenched my teeth and obliged to her order.

"You are too reckless," Camilla answered slowly. "You dive head first into everything without giving a second thought, you never go into battle with a strategy. "

"You'll be killed if you waste your time planning. How can you expect me to waste my time with something as stupid as _that_?!" I countered. One of the weaklings gasped.

I snapped my mouth shut and bowed my head," sorry for yelling." I muttered. Even without looking, I could already picture Camilla's reddening cheeks.

Camilla took a sharp breath in," Ara, you must understand that in a real battle strategy is the key to victory. Diving head first into danger won't help anyone, and it certainly won't help you appeal to any Parties."

"But-"

"No buts!" Camilla raised her hand. "Go to the lounge and take a break. I don't want you to exhaust any more energy."

I held back the urge to curse her off. I kept my mouth sealed and bowed before exiting the arena. Her distant voice called for the next trainees to take the stage behind me.

Camilla and I usually get along, but our peaceful grounds would always crumble when the topic of joining a Party came up.

I'll show her one day, I thought with a huff. I'll show her just how strong I can be.

I flung the lounge doors open and stomped inside. Many trainees were gathered around the single flat screen T.V. watching a comedy show, others occupied the round tables set up around the spacious room. The various conversations stirring about blended into one incomprehensible noise in my ears.

I poured myself a cup of coffee before retreating to my usual spot by the window. A few people greeted me along the way to which I responded with a curt nod.

I took a small sip from my scalding drink and glanced out the window overlooking the city. Our lounge was on the second floor of the training facility which gave me a perfect view of the busy afternoon streets. People littered the downtown grounds, their tiny silhouettes scattering about like busy ants.

I couldn't help but let my mind wander to my days back in Sander. Aren and I used to sit by the lake, singing songs taught at school. When the sand we occupied became too hot we would jump into the cool lake and try to catch fish with our bare hands.

At one point Aren was able to catch one and from then on he would not stop bragging about his one-time victory. His endless gloating irritated my younger self greatly—now I'd give anything to hear him show off his catch again.

"Mind if I sit here?" An unfamiliar voice asked.

I ignore the stranger and kept my gaze locked on the busy street below. After a moment of silence, the chair across from me scrapped against the floor.

"Not a talker eh?"

I slowly avert my eyes on the stranger. At first glance, I could tell she was a mage, her purple pigtails and matching purple eyes screamed out her identity. She placed a thick book on the table and smiled.

"I love reading about history," she explained. "There's so much mysterious in this world that still needs to be solved. My travels have to lead me to many beautiful and strange places."

"You're a traveller?" I blurted, instantly drawn to the stranger like a moth to a flame.

"I'm actually part of a Red Knight party," she held her hand out," my name is Aisha."

"Ara," I eagerly accepted her handshake. Maybe if I get on her good side she'll allow me to join the team—that'll show Camilla. "So is it true you guys encounter a lot of demons?" I began to interrogate.

"Oh yes, we've seen all kinds of demons." She clapped her hands excitedly together. "I've also dealt with a few outlaws."

"You mean _I_ dealt with all those scary bad guys" A boy with long red hair rested a hand on the table, wiggling his eyebrows at Aisha.

I glanced up at the red-haired boy. His sharp red eyes matched his long crimson red hair. He carried two sheathed swords on his back.

"The name's Elsword, I'm the handsome leader of the party. Aisha's usually trembling in the back doing nothing-"

"You jerk!" Aisha picked up her book and slapped it across his stomach. "This is not how you make a first good impression." She slammed the book back on the table. The coffee in my cup rippled dangerously close to the rim of my cup.

"Violent much?" He backed away from the angry mage. His expression softened as his eyes locked onto mine," I don't think you said your name yet, pretty lady." He winked.

"My name is Ara," I answered curtly. I was already fuming with annoyance toward this knight. And to think he was a Red Knight leader.

"Ara eh? That's a cute name."

"Elsword, you better act maturely or I'll zap with with a lightning bolt." Aisha threatened.

"Fine, fine, I was about to sit down anyways." Elsword grabbed a nearby chair and dragged it to my table.

Oh goody, now the creepy knight decided to sit with me. I thought with a scowl. I wish I chose a different table to occupy.

"So how long have you been training, Ara?" Elsword asked, resting his head on a single hand.

"For several years," I answered confidently. "I'm actually quite strong." I could already imagine Camilla shaking her head in disagreement.

"Oh really? We should spar then." Aisha chimed. "I haven't sparred with anyone in awhile."

"You're pretty _and_ strong? Aisha, you should start taking notes." Elsword jolted away from Aisha as she assaulted him with a punch on the arm. "What's wrong? Are you jealous?"

She puffed up her reddened cheeks and kicked him," you jerk!"

Blood rushed to my cheeks at the various heads turning our way. I slumped into my seat and took a sip of my drink.

"Y'know I'm starting to question whether or not we should keep you as our leader," Aisha said through clenched teeth. "I think we're all sick of having a kid as our leader."

"Why you-"

"Ah, I see you've met Aisha and Elsword." Camilla abruptly interrupted. Her sudden appearance instantly settled the fight between the two. She ruffled Elsword's hair," it's good to see you again, kid." She grinned.

"Camilla," The duo greeted in unison.

"You look great as usual." Aisha's compliment made Camilla's cheeks flush. "How are your students? Is there anyone who's as bad as Elsword?"

"Aisha I'm-"

"No one is as bad as Elsword." Camilla cut him off, laughing. Elsword mumbled angrily to himself. I even found myself chuckling at him.

"However, there is one student that needs to be taught an important lesson. I would appreciate it if you could help them out." She added once the laughing had ceased.

"Oh? What would you like me to do?" Aisha's purple eyes sparked with interest.

Camilla's eyes rolled onto me. I felt my blood boil at the smirk stretching on her lips," Aisha, I want you to spar with Ara."

"I don't get why she gets to spar and not me," Elsword complained loudly.

Camilla slapped his arm," be quiet and watch." She ordered. "I need to show my young student a very important lesson."

I rolled my eyes at Camilla's comment and averted my attention toward Aisha. She was on the other side of the arena playing nonchalantly with her staff," I hope you're as good as you say you are!" She exclaimed. "I'm not going easy on you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," I replied with a polite bow.

"I see you have some good manners," Aisha bowed in return. "I think I like you already, Ara."

"Shall we begin?"

"Let's do this."

I got myself into my usual fighting stance, readying myself for every possible attack Aisha could land on me. A small smirk formed on my lips as the mage began to charge up her magic. She held her staff close to her chest and closed her eyes.

She was, without a doubt, going to lose. I could easily attack her from above and she won't even see it coming—quite literally.

Without another thought, I broke into a sprint. After building up some speed I sprung into the air. With my spear pointed just above her head I launched my attack,

"Falling Dragon!"

The mage opened her eyes at the last minute. She waved her staff and disappeared into thin air. I quickly readjusted my footing and landed safely on the ground, kicking up clouds of dust upon impact. I held my spear close and frantically scanned the arena for my opponent, the empty battlefield made my heart hammer heavily against my chest.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood at the shuffling behind me. Before I could turn myself around she attacked," Lightning Bolt!"

I cried in pain as an electric current ran through my body. I was flung back violently once the attack finished up. I could picture Camilla smirking as I rolled across the battlefield.

I cursed and forced my aching body up. Aisha got into her fighting stance, her eyes narrowed as I regained my footing.

Once I was properly up on my feet I charged toward her. She waved her staff toward me, a trail of amber flames emerged from the end of the staff and crawled toward me. I jumped away from flame's path and readied my spear with another attack. My eyes widened as the mage smiled at my movements, I had fallen into her trap.

"Water Cannon!"

Aisha pointed her staff toward me, a purple magic circle appeared underneath her just as blue orbs emerged from the tip of her staff, each one slithering into different paths to pursue me. Once again I was knocked back onto the ground, my body shaking from the cold that accompanied the attack.

"Time to finish you off!" The magic circle beneath her glimmered brightly. "Chain-"

"Enough!" Camilla quickly cut her off.

Aisha's muscles relaxed and she lowered her staff, the magic circle beneath broke into purple particles.

I bit back the burning in my eyes and forced myself up. Thumping footsteps approached me from the sidelines. I dropped my gaze and swiped the back of my hand across my wet eyes.

"Ara," I stiffened at Camilla's raised voice." This is why you must have a strategy when fighting. When you go against someone who is as experienced as Aisha you stand no chance." She paused to let me digest her sharp words. "I hope this was helpful to you."

I bit my bottom lip and gave a curt nod," s-sorry I have disappointed you."

I held my breath and forced myself to look up at Aisha. She met my gaze with furrowed brows.

I've made a complete fool of myself.

"S-sorry I wasted your time." I choked on my words.

"Ara-" I didn't stick around to listen to Aisha. I could hear Camilla calling for me to come back as I bolted out the cold metal doors.

**This is the most frustrating chapter to edit and I don't even know why ." **


	3. Chapter 2

***Edited***

I chomped into my warm chocolate muffin, eyes skimming through the latest newspaper. Mellow music played, accompanied by hushed chatter, in the background. The best way to sulk after being yelled at was to eat sweets, well for me anyway. Sweets always found a way to tame my emotions.

"What would you think, Mother, Father?" I wondered to myself out loud. "Would you be proud of me; or would you side with Camilla?"

I'd like to believe Mother and Father would take my side, perhaps they'd find Camilla's expectations of me just as irrational. If Camilla wasn't so concerned about an attack strategy I would already by fighting alongside other knights. She's the sole reason I've been stuck in training for so long; she's the reason I may never accomplish my dream of becoming a Red Knight. I huffed and took another bite out of the muffin.

The glass doors of the bakery flew open, the tiny golden bells attached to it chimed to life. Two very familiar voices flooded into the store. At that moment I wished the ground would swallow me whole.

Maybe if I stay very still they won't notice I'm here.

"Oh look, Elsword, it's Ara."

I cursed under my breath and kept my eyes glued on the article in front of me, pretending to be fully engrossed in the story I had just finished reading.

I can't believe I'd bump into them again, especially after I made a fool of myself. Why do they have to come here of all places? Why not that shady burger place by the arena? Can't a girl enjoy her muffin in peace?

"Hey," Aisha slid herself into the chair across from me—I held back the urge to groan. "Funny seeing you here."

"I always come here," I replied with a shrug," this is usually where you can find me."

"It's very nice in here," Aisha examined the brightly coloured walls. "This place gives off a very homey vibe."

"I guess so." Home is nothing if you're not surrounded by vast amounts of sand, beautiful lakes, and the hot scorching sun. "What are you two doing here?" My voice came out harsher than I had anticipated it to be.

"Our team used to hang out here." Aisha answered, shrugging off my rude tone." That was before we were busy with endless missions." Aisha purposefully lowered my newspaper and added," y'know you aren't half bad."

I frowned and pushed the paper up to my face again," I lost pretty badly and I'm sure Camilla would agree without a doubt." I blinked against the burning tears in my eyes.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Ara, you're just not used to fighting strategically yet." Aisha lowered the newspaper once more, but this time she kept a firm grip to keep me from hiding behind it again. "Trust me, you'll be scary good once you get that mastered."

I couldn't help but smile at Aisha's compliment. It was nice to know someone had faith in me, but the sceptical part of me was convinced she was lying. If I had to guess, she was just saying nice things to me in hopes of boosting my confidence.

"Hey, Ara, fancy seeing you here!" Elsword greeted with a steaming drink in one hand. "Aisha, here's your tea." He said, placing the cup in front of Aisha.

"I haven't had this in such a long time." Aisha chimed happily. "You wouldn't believe the stuff we have to eat and drink on the road." She brought the cup up to her lips and slurped.

Elsword snickered," we had to eat bugs once and this big baby was crying."

"Shut up, you dork." She snapped. "Bugs are gross! And may I remind you that you got food poisoning after eating that glowing spider."

I shivered at the thought of eating those disgusting little creatures," could you two just stop talking about bugs? It's starting to gross me out."

"Only for you," Elsword said with a wink. I rolled my eyes and took another bite out of my muffin.

"Hey, let's go do something fun," Aisha suggested with a small bounce. "We might as well take advantage of our break. Ara, you should come too."

"That's actually a good idea," Elsword agreed. "Ara, you must know all the cool events and places to go to."

I shook my head," I don't really know any fun places. I just know where to get daily essentials, my home, and of course the training facility." Elsword and Aisha's jaw dropped almost in sync.

"You're kidding." Aisha gasped. "So you're telling me you've never been to a carnival or a festival?"

"I don't really see the point. If it's not going to help me train then it is utter nonsense."

"Man, we need to get you a dose of fun now." Elsword glanced over at Aisha and grinned. "Let's go exploring."

* * *

After much debate I finally agreed to follow Aisha and Elsword—if I didn't they swore to follow me home. We wandered blindly through the busy streets of Elder, occasionally stopping to watch the street performers. It was pretty boring as I didn't find those silly street performers entertaining.

We finally came to a stop when we reached a massive stone fountain, its size closely resembled that of a swimming pool. A tall stone statue of a man stood at its very centre on a short pedestal. The jacket he wore showed off each button and wrinkle with exquisite detail, his closed hands hung by his sides as he gazed his lifeless eyes into the heavens. Water spouted from around the statue's base and arching out to the rest of the pool. Elderly couples sat on the benches arranged around the fountain enjoying the cool mist hovering through the hot afternoon air. Children frolicked in the waters of the fountain.

"I totally forgot this was here." Aisha clapped her hands excitedly. "Let's splash around as well."

"I thought fountains were made for looking only." I pointed out. "Why don't these people get in trouble for playing in it anyways?"

Aisha rolled her eyes at me," they let people play around in it all the time. When there's a special event at night this thing literally lights up in rainbows." She explained while taking her shoes and socks off. "Come on it's fun."

I raised my brow as Aisha sprinted to the stone structure and jumped in, splashing water on a few kids nearby. Elsword leant against my shoulder," you should go too." He gestured to the soaked kids laughing around Aisha. "It's good to relax and unwind once in awhile."

"I'll be fine," I replied, slapping his arm away. "You guys go, I'll sit here and wait for you to finish."

Elsword shrugged," suit yourself." With that he ran off to join Aisha, splashing, even more, water on the kids around them.

While those two were goofing off like children, I decided to use the time wisely and trained. Many people around me, especially children, watched in awe as I swiftly manoeuvred around the fountain. I received a few claps with each combo.

"Wow, she's so cool mommy!" I heard a little girl exclaim to my left.

"I want a spear like that!" A boy added on.

"Her robe is so beautiful."

I smiled contently at the compliments, each word warming my heart like a mother's hug. Once I performed my last combo I ended the show with a bow, claps erupted around me.  
_  
__"That's my daughter, isn't she great?"_ I imagined my Father saying with a wide grin. My smile wavered at the compliment I'll never get.

I snapped out from my thoughts as a wave of cold splashed over me, my drenched clothes stuck to me like a second layer of skin. My narrowed eyes immediately averted toward my attackers. The two blockheads laughed at my icy glare. Aisha waved her staff in the air, another wave of water pounced onto me in response.

"Cut it out." I snapped, scratching away the excess hair sticking to my face.

"Did you hear that, Elsword?" Aisha asked, her staff disintegrating into small purple particles.

"Yeah, I think it's a bug." Elsword joined in with a snicker.

I flared my nose at their comments," when I get my hands on you two-"

Aisha and Elsword ran off in opposite directions before I could finish.

That was the last straw. Throwing the shoes off my feet and my spear onto the ground, I jumped into the fountain, my landing sending droplets of water to go flying. I targeted Elsword first as he irked me the most.

Elsword glanced back, his eyes widening at the distance quickly closing between us. Before I could savour my victory someone tackled me down from behind, pinpointing me down on the cold water. The kids around me giggle as water splashed all over them.

"Ambush!" Aisha shouted with triumph; the children cheered along with her.

"And betrayal!" Elsword pushed Aisha off me and pinned her onto her back. I laughed and scrambled onto my feet.

"Step back kids," I ordered loudly. Obediently the children around us separated. Once everyone was away from crushing distance I side-tackled Elsword down.

Aisha used this opportunity to splash water in our faces. I couldn't help but laugh as Elsword tackled her down again. Our water fight continued for a few more minutes before we decided to take a break—I'm surprised no one kicked us out before we decided to leave.

"That was so much fun," Aisha said in between laughter. "It sucks that we're all soaked now." She struggled to untie her pigtails.

"At least the sun is keeping us warm," Elsword said with a sneeze.

I chuckled," my hair is such a mess now." I attempted to comb my tangled hair with my fingers but to no avail. "I haven't laughed so much in so long." I proceeded to put on my shoes.

"See? Isn't having fun great?" Aisha asked while putting on her shoes.

"I guess it isn't bad once in awhile," I admitted with a large grin still painted on my face. "Maybe I can come here again when I have some time to spare."

"We should grab something to eat." Elsword's stomach growled in agreement. "All that laughing made me hungry."

"I'm in a mood for some steak." Aisha licked her lips. "I haven't had a good juicy steak for months now."

"I want some chicken feet." I chimed, my mouth already watering for the dish. Aisha and Elsword sent me all kinds of weird looks in return.

"That sounds...gross," Aisha said uncomfortably.

"You have no good taste in food," I shook my head; if only they knew what they were missing out on. "Fine, since you're too _grossed out_ by one of the best dishes in the world, how about we go for pizza?"

"Now that's something we can agree on." Elsword gave me a thumbs up. "Now where do we go for that?"

We laughed and joked with one another while travelling through the crowded streets. The worry and tension I held earlier melted away with every joke. It was nice to laugh and have fun with the duo, but I knew this moment would come to a quick end. After this, we would not see each other again. They'd continue their lives as Red Knights and I'll forever be stuck training with Camilla.

As we neared the closest pizza parlour something unusual caught our eyes. Suddenly are carefree afternoon had ended as quickly as it started.

"What's happening over there?" Aisha pointed towards the crowd gathered by the flashing police cars.

"It looks like something big happened." I perked my head up to get a better look at the distressed crowd.

"Come on, let's go check it out," Elsword suggested.

We hurried to the scene. Cries of both children and adults alike resonated from somewhere within the crowd. Elsword and Aisha exchanged worried looks.

"Excuse my ma'am," Elsword poked the orange-haired woman in front of us, she jumped slightly at the contact. "Can you tell us what's going on?" He asked once she had calmed down.

The woman shook her head," those poor people." She wiped her swollen eyes. "D-demons came out of nowhere attacked the museum not too long ago. So far five visitors are reported dead—o-one of which was only a child."

Elsword's face drained of blood," t-thanks." The woman nodded before turning her back on us again.

Aisha tugged Elsword's arm, "Els, we need to do something." She whispered. Elsword nodded in return.

"Yeah, we need to stop those demons." I agreed, blood pounded my ears at the thought of demons rampaging freely through Elder.

"Wow, Ara, slow down there. You are not coming. It's too dangerous." Aisha replied almost instantly.

I glared at the mage," I want to help, Aisha. I'm strong enough to handle myself."

"Well, you can help by keeping these people calm. This is serious and seeing how you fought before you are-"

"She can come." Elsword quickly cut her off. Aisha gawked at his reply.

"She'll get killed." She snapped. "Unlike us, Ara doesn't have the skills nor experience to handle hostile demons."

"The only way she'll learn is to experience it head on." Elsword shot back. "I'm allowing her to come with us."

"But-"

"And that's an order, Aisha." Elsword raised his voice to ensure power and authority were by his side.

Aisha crossed her arms together and cursed under her breath," you're unbelievable, Elsword. If Ara gets killed out there you'll be taking all the blame, I hope you know that."

"We can look out for her," Elsword suggested. "With the two of us by her side, there's no way she'll get hurt, not severely anyways."

Aisha still looked unconvinced by Elsword's claim but she made no effort to protest any further," I hope you know what you're doing, Els."

"I always know what I'm doing."

"Right..." Aisha returned her gaze to me, this time her expression was softened, "please don't do anything crazy out there, Ara. I don't know what we'll do if we lose you out there."

"Of course I'll play it safe. T-thanks for letting me join you guys." I bowed to the two Red Knights. "I promise to try my best out there."

"C'mon, team, we should get going," Elsword ordered. I'll admit, I was quite impressed that he could act so professionally when on the job. Maybe Elsword isn't as childish and annoying as I first thought he was.

We were easily let into the crime scene after Elsword revealed his identity to the police. We carefully navigated around the empty streets, bodies of demons and injured police officers scattered throughout—healers and alchemists hurried around to provide medical assistance.

"I see the museum." Aisha pointed to the large white building ahead of us.

Countless demons stood in front of the building like a dark wall, even from a distance we could see the fierce battle between demon and humans. Magic and bodies were thrown left and right. It was gut wrenching to see how little each fatality meant.

"It's a mess over there." Elsword's jaw tightened.

"We need to help as soon as we can," With a flash of light, Aisha summoned her staff into her right hand. "Is there a plan of attack?"

"We fight as many demons as we can." Elsword drew out his dual swords. "Stay close to each other, things will get crazy pretty quick in there."

With that, we began our advancement toward the fight. I built up some quick momentum before jumping into the air and gliding my way to the demons. At the corner of my eye, I could see the familiar magic circle appear under Aisha, her staff emitted a bright pink aura in return. The mage hopped on her staff like it was a skateboard, flying herself toward our destination.

"Aww man, I wanna fly too," Elsword whined behind us.

"Slowpoke." Aisha glanced back with a toothy grin. Aisha and I both increased our charge toward the fighting. Once we were close enough I leapt up.

Once I was directly above the dark wall I pointed my spear downwards and launched my attack," Falling Dragon!" I dropped down into the crowd. The head of my spear burrowed into the skull of an unsuspecting demon. The aftershock of my attack blew the others surrounding me away.

"Don't be so reckless!" Aisha's voice sounded somewhere on the other side of the demons' wall. "Cyclone!" A purple gust of wind pried open the wall, revealing a very angry Aisha on the other side. The gust of wind circled around me, blowing away any demons that might have been too close.

Aisha charged into the demonic crowd and pressed her back against me, "here's a tip, don't go landing in the middle of a crowd alone! It's dangerous and you're left in a vulnerable position afterwards."

"Whatever," I rolled my eyes while slicing through one of the demons on my right. "If you're stronger than the opponents you'll be fine."

"Sword Fall!" Glowing amber swords, evidently infused with magic, rained down on the demons in front of me. "Remember to stay close, Ara." Elsword sliced through several demons to join us.

"We should keep our backs together," Aisha shouted over the cries of the battle. "Whatever you do don't break away."

"Got it," I replied without taking eyes off my enemies.

The battle raged on for a good amount of time before we began growing tired. I could see why Aisha said to stay close, this way we didn't have to worry about fighting all around us and we just have to worry about the demons coming in front of us. The formation we held fell apart as the wall of demons grew less dense. That was good news for our aching limbs.

"This is crazy," Elsword panted. "Why are these guys attacking anyways?"

I lunged my spear deep into a nearby demon's skull," perhaps they want to take over the city?" I hypothesised.

"Maybe, but why only attack the museum?" Aisha asked while summoning a path of fireballs into the crowd of enemies.

_Boom!_

The ground beneath us trembled from the deafening explosion. I turned my attention to the white building. Black smoke oozed from the roof of the building, tainting the cerulean sky with its dark hues. Within the curtain of the darkness emerged a golden flying creature, tendrils of black smoke clung onto its body as it moved higher into the air. It resembled a young female, with bird talons as feet, and fanned out wings for arms—a rolled up object was gripped tightly in her right talon.

"Such foolish humans." The creature laughed, shivers crawled down my spine at how close its voice resembled a human's. "This demon army will wipe you all out in due time."

"Come down and fight us, you coward!" Elsword challenged, swinging his sword down on a demon trying to sneak up on him.

The creature turned her head toward us," I would love to play with you, humans, but I have a mission to finish. Children of Elder, your time is almost up. Your piece of the El Shard will be ours very soon."

I felt Aisha and Elsword tensing at the sound of the El Shard. A blazing purple aura engulfed Aisha," come down here and fight us already!" Aisha seethed.

Elsword surrounded himself in a similar red aura," you're not getting away!" He boomed.

The demon laughed at their threats as if they had just told her a joke. That only made Elsword and Aisha aura burn more fiercely, I could feel its heat emanating on my back.

"Unfortunately I must be going now, my Master expects me to return." The creature let out a loud eagle-like cry. I covered my ears from the high-pitched scream, even our enemies seemed to freeze at the sound. "Good bye and have fun with my friend, the Shadow Stinger." The creature soared into the sky until it had disappeared into the endless sea of blue above.

"You're not getting away!" Aisha raised her staff high in the air. "Gust-"

Before she could launch her attack an unseen force blew us all back, even our opponents were affected. I scrambled back up to my feet and averted my eyes back on the building. Clouds of dust and gravel rose from the newly formed entrance on the building but it wasn't enough to shield the attacker from us. I could feel my jaw dropping at the sight of a large figure emerging from the smoke. The demon looked like an oversized meatball with unusually bulky arms dragging behind it, glowing orange markings gave the creature its facial features, and its body was covered in countless spikes. The demon let out a loud cry before trampling over its helpless enemies.

I felt my legs melting into useless puddles at the sight of such a massive foe.

No, we can't give up now. A small voice at the back of my head screamed. We're stronger than this, we can take this demon on.

"W-we need to retreat." Elsword sheathed his dual swords, his red aura diminishing into thin air. "W-we're in no condition to fight that meatball."

Did he just say we were going to retreat?

"I agree." Aisha ran her hand through her tangled hair, her aura vanished as Elsword's did.

How could they just let that thing wander? It doesn't matter if they aren't skilled at dealing with it, they're Red Knights and it should be their job to deal with demons. They should be running up to that thing and risking their lives for their city. Do they even care for Elder?

"Let's go. We need to leave this to the higher class knights." Elsword pulled on my arm.

I clenched my teeth together and plunged my spear into the ground, the cement ground cracked under my blade," how can you retreat when this thing can kill everyone here?" I pulled my arm out of his grip "I thought you guys were Red Knights. You should be running out there and protecting the city with your life."

"We're still protecting the city just it's not in the way you think we are; we're still considered rookies." Elsword darted his eyes at the enemy behind me. "L-look we need to leave this to other people-"

"Oh? When will those other people show up?" I challenged. "When that thing has trampled over more of the city? When the casualties increase?"

"Ara, we have to wait for the more experienced knights to show." Aisha's eyes darted between the demon and our escape route. "Stop being so stubborn and retreat with us. Y-you aren't even supposed to be here and yet we let you come! Can you try and listen to someone for once?!"

I opened my mouth to protest but I no longer had words left to defend my actions, my anger refused to let me stand idle while the colossal demon reigned chaos down on Elder" you guys can retreat." I turned myself around and yanked my spear out from the ground. "I'm going to fight. I will not allow anyone else die because of a demon attack."

Before Aisha could reply I went running off toward the white building. I dug my feet into the ground and sprung into the air, landing on the damaged roof—the demon's back was now facing me. I charged at the demon and leapt into the air. I point my spear down and dropped. I held my breath as my spear drew closer to my target, I could hear Elsword and Aisha's voices calling for me but the wind blasting in my ears drowned their words out.

The spikes on its back suddenly stretched out. I cried in pain as one of them impaled me on my left shoulder. I was pushed back and fell onto the rock hard roof. The demon laughed at my failed attack, the ground seemed to tremble at its booming voice.

"Don't give up," I whispered to myself. "I'm no longer a helpless little girl, I can fight and protect people now." I used my spear to help myself up. Aside from a few bruises and the hole embedded on my shoulder, it didn't seem like I had sustained any serious injuries, though my burning left shoulder would say otherwise.

"Shadoweave!" I threw my spear toward the demon, the instant the weapon made contact a ring of dark energy erupted from its blade and bounded the target.

I stretched my arm out, opening my empty palm, to which my spear responded by returning to my hand, the dark energy surging from it dragged my target along with it. By the time my weapon had returned to my outstretched arm the demon had been dragged till it was merely few centimetres away from me. Without a moment of hesitation, I unleashed the final slash just as another spike impaled me.

I clenched my teeth as the spike reentered my opened wound, a surge of energy released from the spike which sent flying back once more. The abrupt impact forced the spear out of my hand.

I cried in pain as I landed head first on the rock hard surface. My senses blurred into one big mesh but I didn't need them to know I was still in trouble. The surface beneath me trembled and even in my disoriented state I could still comprehend the thundering footsteps heading my way.

Hope instantly diminished from my world at my attempt to move my unresponsive body, every fibre of my being had seemed to given up on escape and survival. After a few more struggles I simply gave up on trying to move and braced myself for death to finally accept me.

I am sorry I have failed you, Mother and Father. I squeezed my burning eyes shut as my heart hammered feverishly against my rib cage. In the end, I didn't avenge your deaths and I did not find my brother. I'm sorry to have failed you, Aren.

_Relax, Daughter of the Haan Family. I will take care of this._

The familiar voice made images from that fateful day surge through my head, but before I could comprehend who's voice that was my mind went blank.


	4. Chapter 3

***Edited***

When I came to my head felt like it just got hit with a boulder. The world seemed to run in a constant spiral around me, and having my eyes shut only made it feel like I was trapped on a never ending roller coaster.

"I think she's waking up." Aisha's soft voices rippled through the rhythmic beeping beside me.

"A-are you sure?" Elsword's voice replied. "Maybe you're just seeing things."

"I saw her fingers twitch, doofus." Aisha snapped loudly. A sharp pain pierced through my head at the noise.

"Maybe we should poke her."

"No," I could imagine her punching Elsword on the arm. "We can't just poke her."

"Why not?"

Aisha groaned," I_ really_ hope you're just actingthisstupid."

I begin to crack my eyes open, snapping them shut the instant a blinding white light pierced my vision. It took me several more tries to successfully pry them both open, by then Aisha and Elsword had already fell into silence.

"Well look who decided to wake up." Elsword greeted once I managed to fully awaken. "Good morning, sleeping beauty." He winked.

"M-morning?" My voice came out hoarse.

Aisha's lower lip trembled. Just as I was about to ask her what was wrong she enveloped me in a gentle hug.

"Don't you dare do that again." Aisha scolded, breaking the warm embrace. "Do you know how worried we were?"

"Aisha, I don't think we have to worry about her from now on." Elsword shivered at the memory. "A-and I think we learned to never piss her off."

I tilted my head in confusion," what are you talking about?"

Aisha opened her mouth to respond but bit down on her lower lip before the words could come out.

"W-what happened out there?" I persisted, now my arms and legs were starting to feel like jelly.

"Some...crazy things." Aisha answered hesitantly.

"Crazy indeed." Camilla entered the room with arms on her hips, I absentminded shrunk into my bed at her arrival. She pointed at me angrily," I can't believe you participated in that fight with these two. You could've died out there, young lady."

I broke eye contact with my teacher," but I didn't die." I mumbled.

"Y'know I would love to hear how you survived." Camilla went on, her voice made my head pound with greater intensity. "You have lots of explaining to do, Ara."

"Indeed you do." Aisha agreed.

I ran my hand through my hair—ignoring the sharp pain in my shoulder," I-I don't know what happened okay? I j-just remember blacking out and then waking up-" I was cut off with a dry cough. The burning pain in my shoulder shot down my arm with each convulsing hack.

Camilla's angered expression softened in an instant.

"Maybe you were too harsh on her," I heard Elsword whispering to Camilla.

"I-I know," she sighed, dropping her arms down. "I was just worried. I-I really thought she wouldn't wake up." My chest ached upon catching the tears stirring in her eyes.

Great, you hurt the one person who cared about you all these years. Good job, Ara.

I swallowed down the lump quickly forming at the back of my throat and asked,"I want answers too. Can someone tell me what happened?" I eyed my visitors desperately, hoping someone would spill the beans.

Aisha and Elsword exchanged glances with each other, their eyes buzzing with worry.

"Let's get you some water first." Aisha was the first to speak up.

I drowned the cup of water in a matter of seconds. Elsword, Aisha, and Camilla watched my every move in silence. I wanted to scream at them to stop treating me like a newly discovered species.

I placed the glass cup down beside me and gestured Aisha and Elsword to start explaining. The two friends seemed to tense in response.

"I don't even know where to start." Elsword began, his eyes wandering around the room. "We started freaking out when you didn't get up. W-we were sure you died." He paused to wipe the corner of his eye.

" I-I wanted to fight that demon for what it did, but before I could attack something pushed the demon onto its back." He finished.

"That's when we saw you fight back." Aisha took over, with hands clasped together.

I raised my brow," wait, I fought back?" I mindlessly let out a chuckle. "H-how is that possible? I know I passed out on the roof."

Aisha shrugged," there was something odd though." She continued, this time in a much lower tone. She darted her eyes around the room frantically, like a deer searching for possible hunters, before continuing. "You attacked the demon without your spear. I-it was like you were using claws to throw the demon back."

"It wasn't the way you fought that was scary; in fact, you were freakin' cool. What threw us off was your appearance, you were kinda scary." Elsword scratched the back of his head. "N-no offence." He added hastily.

"What do you mean by _scary_?" I asked hesitantly.

"Y-you had snow-white hair," Aisha shifted her legs uncomfortably. "Your eyes were blood red, and you had strange red markings on your face."

"You also grew nine white tails. No offence but you looked and fought like a demon." Elsword added hastily. He opened his mouth to say more but snapped it shut once he realized he had said enough.

I dropped my gaze down to my closed hands, both fists were trembling at the new information.

Nine tails, red eyes; white hair? Are these guys trying to trick me; or am I just loopy on medicine? This all sounded like something you'd hear from an over imaginative child.

"N-now I know you think we lost a few marbles," Aisha piped in. "But I promise we're telling the truth."

"T-that can't be true." I felt my eyes welling up with tears. "Y-you're saying I-I'm a demon?"

"N-no, they didn't say that." Camilla clamped her hand around my ice cold fist, her warmth enveloping it like a blanket.

"It's not that hard to figure out, Camilla." I pulled my hand away, instantly missing the warmth of her touch. "I-I know what they're trying to say."

"But with these powers you can be stronger." Elsword added with a tight smile. "Demons are really strong to begin with."

"Demons are evil." I corrected. "Demons kill everyone and everything. In the end they leave you with nothing but pain."

I tried to hold back the tears but I couldn't fight them any longer. I buried my face into my hands cried. I shook, consequently shooting the pain down my arm, with every gasping breath I forced in.

No one went out of their way to say something to comfort me; but who could blame them? There's nothing they could say that would make me feel better—I should be used to this by now.

A couple minutes passed before I could recollect myself. Aisha handed me a box of tissues to which I gladly accepted.

"She's had some bad experiences with demons." Camilla clarified as I wiped my burning eyes dry.

"Just kill me," I requested weakly, Aisha gasped at my request. Camilla and Elsword's jaw both dropped in response "'I could kill everyone in this room one day."

"Don't say that." Aisha placed a firm hand on my shoulder. "That's not true."

"How can you be sure?" I felt another wave of tears forming in my eyes, I quickly wiped them dry before they could make an appearance. "Y-you of all people should know that demons are evil."

"Well you aren't an evil demon." She defended, her grip on my shoulder tightened. "An evil demon would've attacked us, but you saved our lives instead. If you hadn't fought back there, hundreds of people would still be in danger."

I shook my head, unable to believe anything Aisha was telling me," there's no such thing as a _good _demon. They're all the same."

"Ara…" Aisha lifted her hand off me.

"You're a good kid, Ara." Camilla said with a warm smile. "You may be reckless and hollow headed, but you're one of my best students."

Good? Am I really good if I have the potential to go beserk and murder everyone?

"There is such thing as good demons." Elsword piped in softly. "I've heard some cool stories about demons and humans working together. There isn't a lot, but they still exist."

His words made some of the tears evaporate, but it wasn't enough to lift the weight crushing my shoulders.

"Wow, that's deep." Aisha playfully pounded his arm. "That still doesn't change the fact that you're dumb."

"Whatever, nerd." He countered.

I laughed at their responses," thanks guys."

"All jokes aside," Aisha elbowed Elsword one last time in the chest. "You said you couldn't remember defeating the demon?" I bobbed my head. "In that case, it's safe to assume you can't control yourself in that state."

The room fell silent once again. I used that time to wipe off any lingering tears.

While Elsword's speech about _good demons _lifted some of the emotional weight off my mind, I still refuse to believe my demonic powers were good. Who's to say I won't lash out randomly one day—especially if I have no control of myself?

I still think it's best to send me to Mother and Father early. The world could do with one less demon.

Elsword abruptly snapped his fingers together, drawing our attention to him.

Elsword averted his attention towards Camilla," this is gonna sound crazy; but may I take Ara in as one of my team members?"

Camilla's eyes widened at his question," absolutely not. She nearly got killed today in a _harmless _spar. How can you expect her to go out and fight real demons?" She snapped.

Yikes, looks like she's still bitter about that.

"We have smart people in the Red Knight community." Elsword explained calmly. "Maybe someone can help control her demonic powers." He flashed a smile so big it could rival that of a child's on their birthday. She returned the gesture by folding her arms.

"W-we can help her grow in battle too." Aisha chimed in. "I'm sure she'll gain some valuable experience through us."

Camilla tapped her index finger against her chin," true, but I'm worried about her well-being. Ara is still young and reckless."

"So are we." Elsword gestures to himself and Aisha. "We're all around the same age and look how strong Aisha and I are now. With some training and experience Ara can be like us."

Camilla chuckled," hopefully she'll turn out like Aisha. If she turns out like you I will be highly disappointed."

Aisha and I laughed while Elsword went on a tangent about how great he really was.

"So can I join them?" I asked over his ramblings. I mentally braced myself for her to say no.

"Being a Red Knight won't be easy, Ara." The air seemed to thicken at her response—even Elsword quieted down from his speech," your everyday life will be more stressful and tiring, and you _can _die battle. Are you sure you'll be able to handle that?"

"B-but I'll train really hard." I felt my lower lip trembling. "I-I know life will be tough but I w-won't give up."

My heart was hammering faster than ever before. I haven't felt this rush since the day I tried stealing a cookie from Camilla's lunchbox.

"We started out the same way as her," Aisha jumped in to defend me. "Camilla, you remember when Elsword had trouble swinging his wooden sword and when I kept burning myself with my own spells. Look at us now, we're not perfect but we've improved a lot."

"We're still learning like her," Elsword added.

"Pl-please, Camilla." I begged. This was the first time I had two other people believing in me. Camilla should know how crushed I'd be if she took this opportunity away.

A moment of silence followed shortly, my ear buzzed with each passing second.

After what felt like years had passed, shebroke into a smile," as long as you don't forget about me, dear."

Aisha and Elsword high-fived at her approval. I was left in a tearful mess.

"I-I won't ever forget you, Camilla." I gestured Camilla to give me a hug. "You're like a mother to me."

"Oh, Ara." Camilla responded instantly with a bone crushing hug, pain shot through my body from the embrace but I didn't protest. "Just promise me you'll stay safe. I-I don't want to wake up one morning to learn you passed away in battle."

"I will, Camilla. Thank you so much for allowing me to join them." I broke the hug with a toothy grin still stretched on my face. Camilla; on the other hand, was stuck between laughter and tears

"I still can't believe this is happening." I squealed.

As the idea sunk deeper in my mind the world seemed to brighten. I could picture the long awaited sunlight breaking the murky clouds constantly in my mind, bathing my world with its golden warmth.

"Well you better believe it," Elsword held out his hand to me." Welcome to the team, Ara."


	5. Chapter 4

****Edited****

_Aren and I ran wildly around the village, chasing each other with the paper dragons we made earlier. I turned the corner of a house and came across a pile of wooden boxes—a light bulb brighten in my head._

_Without another thought, I dove behind the boxes and curled into a ball with my hands over my mouth to hide my laughter. My heartbeat quickened at the sound of Aren's approaching footsteps.__  
__  
__"Surprise!" I shouted, jumping out of my hiding spot. Aren screamed and tumbled to the ground. "You screamed like a little girl." I laughed.__  
__  
__"You scream like a girl." He mumbled, helping himself up.__  
__  
__I stuck my tongue out," I am a girl, stupid!" __  
__  
__"What is with all the noise?" Vapor (the scary witch as Aren would call her) stomped out of the building and toward us. "I am busy studying an important potion!"_

_"S-sorry, Miss Vapor." Aren hurriedly gestured me to bow to her, I followed his suggestion almost instantly.__  
__  
__"We were just playing with our dragons." I explained, holding up the now wrinkled paper dragon. __  
__  
__Vapor raised her brow at the dragons in our hands. She sighed and shook her head," honestly, how can descendants of such great warriors be this immature?"__  
__  
__Aren and I exchanged nervous glances," I think we should run before she turns us into frogs." Aren whispered.__  
__  
__"Oh hush, child." Vapor locked her aqua green eyes on him. "I may be old but I can hear you."__  
__  
__"S-sorry, Vapor!" Aren quickly bowed. "I-I didn't mean to."__  
__  
__"Y'know, kids, back in my day we didn't have time for fun." __  
__  
__I gasped," you didn't? That must have been so boring." Aren nudged me roughly on the arm. "Oh, I-I'm sorry-"__  
__  
__"Nonsense, child." Vapor laughed—she didn't sound like a witch, Aren always told me she laughed like one. "We were taught to read and speak lost languages. As for fun, our parents and elders told us all sorts of fascinating tales." Vapor proudly announced. "It's sad that parents are no longer stuffing your heads with these valuable stories."__  
__  
__"Are they like stories? Such as the Moon Maiden?" I asked, now interested to know more about the stories.__  
__  
__"Yes," Vapor sat down cross legged. "Let me tell you a story." She waited as we settle ourselves down in front of her." Somewhere, deep in the desert, lies an ancient ruin. An old and forgotten tale lies within her rocky walls. Legend has it that those cave drawings reveal the secrets of the Six World Wonders."__  
__  
__"World Wonders?" Aren quoted. "Like treasure?"__  
__  
__"You could call them that," Vapor pushed her round glasses up her nose. "These Six Wonders hold tremendous power. If all these pieces were to fall into the wrong hands utter chaos would fall upon our world, and a terrifying monster will be free from its isn't any more details on this mystery, but some believe these Six Wonders are hidden somewhere in Elrois."__  
__  
__"Is there a way to stop the monster once it's released?" Aren asked with eyes now glistening with interest—if we weren't talking about treasure I doubt he would be interested.__  
__  
__Vapor shook her head," unfortunately the old texts do not tell us how we can stop the monster, but I am sure there is a solution."__  
__  
__"Wow that's really cool," I chimed in. "Thank you for sharing that story ." The nickname Aren gave her slipped effortlessly out my mouth.__  
__  
__"Ara," Aren hissed. "You don't just say that to someone."__  
__  
__Vapor laughed," it's quite alright, child." She ruffled my hair and smiled. Despite her old age, her skin was clean of wrinkles. "I can sense you'll become a strong warrior one day, Ara."_

I woke up with a small smile printed on my face. These were the rare nights which I could sleep without nightmares. Even though I awakened without a sweat drenched body I couldn't help but tear up. The old memories lingering in my mind still ached my heart.

"I sure miss hearing Vapor's crazy ideas for future potions and medicine." I mused. "Even if Aren and I would would always fall asleep during her long lectures about potions."

After letting out a loud yawn I hopped out of bed and got ready for the day. Excitement rushed through my body at the busy plans awaiting me ahead. After Camilla allowed me to join the Red Knights (and a whole week of recovery had finally passed), I was finally able leave Elder and meet the other team members.

I took the quickest shower of my life and changed into my usual attire. After finishing my morning routine, I checked my luggage one last time before zipping the them up.

A soft knock on the door caught my attention. I rushed to the door and peeked through the peep hole, a smile formed on my lips at the sight of my two new friends. I hurriedly open the door for them," good morning, guys." I greeted with cheeky grin.

"I'm glad you're already up." Aisha sighed of relief. "I thought we'd wake you up too early."

"I don't sleep in much," I answered truthfully. "Come on in. Oh and take off your shoes, I don't like people walking around houses with shoes on."

"We do that at home too," Elsword said while slipping his runners off. "It's a pain to clean off dirt stains all the time."

I quickly glossed over my friends' appearance, it was weird seeing them in their casual clothes. Aisha had a simple yellow summer dress and a white cardigan over top, while Elsword wore a red sweater and a faded pair of jeans.

"You have a very nice apartment," Aisha's eyes scanned over the tiny living room. "I've always wanted to have a place of my own."

"It's not all that great." I shrugged. "It's a pain to keep up with rent and you have to clean _everything_ yourself."

"So you packed up and ready to go?" Elsword asked.

I bobbed my head," I'll just get my bags from my room."

Just as I was about to take a step forward, Elsword blocked my path with an outstretched arm," don't worry about carrying the heavy luggage, Ara." He winked, my chest erupted in warmth at his gesture. "Let me take them out."

I was about to protest but he trudged off before I got a chance to say anything.

"He's just trying to show off his imaginary muscles." Aisha said with an eye roll. "He'll be begging for help in a few seconds."

"You're just jealous of me." He stuck his tongue out childishly at her.

She scoffed," jealous of an overgrown child? No way."

At least he's trying to help me, even if he is trying to show off I still enjoy his company—a massive grin stretched on my face at that warming thought.

"So, Ara, where is your room again?" Elsword halted in his tracks, finally realizing he didn't know the layout of my tiny living space.

I pretended to huff in frustration," and here I thought you would be helpful."

The journey to my new home was not as easy as I thought. I expected us to hop on a bus or a place to reach our destination, but there was a small problem. Elsword and Aisha's home, Ruben Village, was located deep within the forest hugging the city's border. Needless to say, I was the only one who wasn't prepared for the long hike—at least I only had to hold my spear through the entire trip, Elsword insisted on carrying everything else himself.

Aside from the hidden dagger-like branches scraping our legs and the bulging tree roots littering the forest grounds, the journey to Ruben was fairly smooth. Towering trees stretched over our heads, blocking the blazing sunlight with their outstretched leaves and branches. Birds and bugs sang in harmony from every corner of the endless greenery, celebrating the peace humming through the living kingdom.

"And we're finally here," Aisha announced, pushing aside a curtain of leaves to reveal a tiny village.

Butterflies danced in my stomach the moment we stepped into the clearing. I sheepishly followed behind Elsword and Aisha as they began their way in, they greeted nearly every passing villagers along the way. How they knew everyone here was beyond me.

I kept my head down and mouth shut as we thread further in. Even without looking up I knew the locals had eyes glued on me, no doubt trying to decipher if I was a friend or foe.

"Took you long enough." A flat voice greeted up ahead.

I swallowed and tilted my head up.

A woman with a strapless white dress sashayed toward us, parts of her gown was laced with gold. Her silver hair was tied back into a bun, its unusual colour helped to bring out her empty golden eyes. I couldn't help but stare at the blue orb attached on her forehead, it seemed to glint under the sunlight. Two small drones, one black and one white, skied through the air shortly behind her.

"Eve, it's good to see you again," Aisha waved.

"It is a pleasure to see you too." She turned her head toward me, her face remaining emotionless.

I bit my lower lip and gave her a small wave, my cheeks flared with heat as she didn't return the gesture. With one last look she turned her attention to Elsword.

"I see you have brought a guest." The stranger slapped Elsword across the face. I gasped at the sudden attack while Aisha snickered. "Peasant, introduce me to our guest."

Elsword glared at the stranger," well hello to you too." He grumbled, rubbing his already swollen cheek. "This is Ara, she's the new rookie I recruited. Ara, this is our team mate Eve. She's the Queen of Nasods."

"Queen of Nasods?" My jaw dropped as those words left my mouth.

Nasods, a race of highly intelligent machines, have a messy history with humans. Who would've thought Elsword's team housed such a humanoid machine? Then again, someone like me shouldn't say anything about Elsword's choice of friends.

"Yes, I am a Nasod." Eve answered proudly.

I shifted uncomfortably on the spot, "umm it's nice to meet you, Your Majesty." I bowed to her.

A group of village kids ran by, squealing and laughing as they sprinted through their imaginary world.

"I like this human already," Eve said in a monotone voice. "She is willing to give me respect, unlike some people around here." She slapped Elsword once again—the hit echoed through the village, but none of the villagers seemed to be concerned.

"Hey, that's not fair." Elsword recoiled back from Eve. "You can't just hit me twice."

"I can do as I like." Eve took a step toward her cowering leader. "I am a Queen afterall."

"H-hey, let's show Ara our house." Aisha finally piped in. She reluctantly linked her arm with Eve's and nudged her forward.

"Very well," Eve nodded. "Follow me."

We followed the Nasod through the quiet village, I took in as much as I could of my new surroundings. We finally came to a halt in front a two story house, a sparkling river snaked behind it.

I felt my jaw drop the moment we stepped inside, the new home quickly put my old apartment to shame.

"Make yourself at home." Aisha nonchalantly kicked off her shoes. Elsword grunted with my luggage shortly behind.

"Don't worry, Ara, I'll deal with the baggage," Elsword wheezed.

I slipped out of my footwear and shuffled eagerly inside.

To my left was a set of stairs, a massive living room sat shortly behind it. Black couches encircled the flat screen TV boarded up to the spotless white wall, various gaming consoles sat on the shelf mounted under it. A tiny coffee table rested at the center, its surface simply complimented with a vase of black roses.

I did a quick scan of the rest of the house, quickly noting the abnormally clean kitchen and dining area along with the set of glass doors separating me from patio in the back.

"It's decent size for an average party." Elsword said, dragging the remaining bags in. "You should probably meet everyone else."

Wait, there's more of these guys?

"I'll go get the others." Aisha rocketed up the set of stairs before I had I chance to speak up.

"The others will definitely like you." Elsword said as he wiped beads of sweat off his forehead.

I doubt they will after knowing what I am, i wanted to say. Instead I kept my mouth shut and bobbed my head.

I clasped my clammy hands together as Aisha reemerged from the stairs bringing along two guys behind her. They both exchanged silent glances upon catching glimpse of me.

I hope there isn't anything stuck on my face.

"Try not to scare her away," Aisha snaked behind the two strangers and pushed them toward me, they were both in casual wear like Elsword and Aisha.

I took quick notice of the one with long blond hair. If I didn't know any better I would've easily mistaken him for a muscular girl.

Elsword wrapped his arm around me," boys, this is our new member Ara." He gestured to the guy with short black hair," Ara, this one here is Raven. He's one of the best swordsmen around."

"Hey," he greeted curtly, stuffing his single metallic hand in his pocket.

Elsword then gestured to the blond one," this is Chung, he's famous for his unbreakable armour, home-made cannon, and knowledge on alchemy."

"N-nice to meet you both." I wanted to slap myself my stammering.

"New member already, eh?" Raven mumbled. "Elsword, I hope you know what you're doin'."

"Trust me, she can put up a fight." He unwrapped his arm around me. "I've seen her do some sick things in battle."

Raven shrugged," I'll trust you on that." He shifted his eyes to the side.

"We don't need a new member." Chung scoffed. "I doubt she's any good."

His sharp words ripped through my confidence like a sword, effortlessly shredding it into useless pieces.

Aisha frowned," Chung, we need a new member. You know we do-" she stopped herself mid-sentence. "L-look, I know it's hard to accept a rookie but-"

"Is this why you two took so long to get back?" He glanced between Aisha and Elsword with those baggy blue eyes. "Were you two busy recruiting some rat off the street?"

"She needs to be trained by us," Elsword piped in, placing a firm hand on my shoulder. "There's a reason we took her in." He swore under his breath as those words tumbled carelessly out.

My blood seemed to go ice cold in response.

"Oh? And what is your reason?" Chung challenged flatly.

Aisha and Elsword exchanged glances," well she has these...powers," Aisha began carefully. "She has, uh, demonic powers. W-we took her in to help her master those powers."

The three new friends instantly grew quiet. I dropped my gaze to the ground and found myself shrivelling up beside Elsword.

"Perhaps we can defeat more demons with a demon of our own." Eve thought out loud. " I personally like this...human, she gave me such respect when we first met."

"It's risky." Raven dropped his eyes down on his hidden metal hand. "But who am I to say she's bad?" His golden eyes seemed to harden.

"Yeah, bringing her in was a great idea." Chung snorted, my hands balled into fists at his sarcasm. "I really look forward to being eaten alive by a demon. It's obviously been my lifelong dream to die to a mindless monster."

"Man, you're making it real hard not to hate you." I couldn't hold myself back from saying. Chung turned his murderous eyes on me, his face flushing with red. "No wonder you'll be the first one to get eaten by a monster."

"H-hey, guys, let's not-" Elsword was promptly cut off by Chung.

"You think you're smart, demon?" He shot back. "Yeah, I might die first, but at least I'll die a hero. You? You'll just go down in history as a monster."

A familiar burning returned to my eyes," at least I'll have friends who will cry for me, unlike you."

Chung smirked," last time I checked everyone here was my friend." The truth made my blood burn like acid. "Now tell me how many people you have crying at your grave."

"Chung," Aisha stomped her foot down. "Stop acting like such a kid."

I slipped out of Elsword's arm and spun my spear around until it was pointed directly at Chung's throat, I held back a smirk as his face quickly drained of colour. The air seemed to thicken as my blade was held inches away from Chung's neck, one swipe and I'd have him limp on the floor.

Chung quickly regained his composure," so you finally caved in to your animalistic instincts." His smirk returned.

He leaned in closer to the edge of my blade, my arms weakened the instant his fragile neck as pushing against the head of my spear.

"Go ahead, Ara." He taunted. "Kill me. You know you want to."

I took a sharp breath in and withdrew my weapon from him," I-I hate you." My cheeks flared with heat as I choked on my words.

"I feel the same way, demon freak." He recoiled slowly away.

"Chung, that's mean." Aisha piped in weakly.

He snorted," whatever. She had it coming."

Aisha opened her mouth to protest but he began his way up the stairs before she could utter a single word out. She snapped her mouth shut and cursed.

"Hey, you alright?" Elsword whispered behind me.

A door slammed from the second floor.

"C-can I just be alone right now?" I bowed my head, allowing my dark hair fall and cover my face.

"I'm sorry about Chung." Elsword sighed. "We just happen to catch him in a bad mood."

"I-I don't care." A single tear drop squeezed out the corner of my eye. I wiped it dry before anyone could notice. "Please, l-let me have some time alone."

"But-"

"Let's escort Ara to her new room." Aisha thankfully cut Elsword off. "We can talk about this later."

Elsword left me in my new sleeping space after dropping my luggage off, thankfully he didn't attempt to say anything to me.

For the first few minutes I allowed the tears to fall, every gasping breath made me shake. A part of me wanted to scream, curse; wail to the heavens—but I couldn't, I didn't want the others to hear.

Time seemed to drag by, slower than a snail scaling up an incline. Eventually I exerted myself of tears and thankfully calmed myself down. Once I was no longer crippled on the ground from the crying, I began unpacking.

I mindlessly threw the little clothes I had in the spacious walk-in closet as my thoughts went wild.

What if Chung is right? What if I do end up killing everyone? There's no saying when I'll go demonic again. Maybe I should call it quits while it's early.

A soft knock on the door snap my out of my thoughts. I promptly jumped out from the closet from the abrupt noise.

"It is just me," Eve entered, gently closed the door behind her. "The Ruben captain has come to talk with you. Elsword has informed him about your powers and...run in with Chung. He is willing to wait for you until you are ready to speak."

Great, I wonder how this stranger will react to my powers. Maybe he'll break out the sword and kill me—I won't blame him if he does.

"Ara, I understand this must be hard on you." Eve added, her voice softer than usual. "I know it must be difficult to face these new people, especially with your unique powers, but I promise these circumstances will not remain."

"D-did they treat you like this?" I asked in a weak whisper.

There was a pause," I am the Queen of Nasods, the leader of their ancestors' enemy." She drew closer to me." There's no doubt I faced persecution among the humans."

"O-oh," I blurted mindlessly.

Eve placed a hand on my shoulder," but do not fear, Ara. This team will guard you and defend you with their lives. You can rely on me if they fail to do so."

Her words mended the wounds inflicted by Chung, the warmth in her statement cleaned away any toxins left by the hate that once ate through me.

"T-thanks, Eve." I found myself smiling at her.

"D-do not assume I said that because I understand human pain." Eve quickly recoiled her hand away and snapped her head to the side, hues of pink tinted her cheeks.

I couldn't help but laugh in response," whatever you say, Eve."


	6. Chapter 5

****Edited****

All eyes fell on me the moment we stepped into the kitchen. Everyone, including two additional strangers, at the table greeted me with a bright smile - everyone but Chung of course. I hid behind the Nasod queen, suddenly feeling regret for coming here.

"You must be Ara," the old man dressed in red greeted. "Nice to meet you, I am Lowe. I, along with my family, have worked with the Red Knights for many years."

"And I'm Echo," the girl with messy silver hair chimed in. "Not to brag, but I'm the best alchemist in the village." She grinned proudly

Echo's introduction left me speechless. Not only was I expecting her to be Lowe's clueless granddaughter, but I wouldn't think to guess she was an alchemist; she looked like a twelve year old for crying out loud.

"It's very nice to meet you two," I hesitantly stepped out from behind Eve and bowed.

"Damn, this girl's got manners" Echo's comment earned a few chuckles. "Ara makes a better first impression than Elsword."

"Hey-"

"We have heard about your powers," Lowe began, cutting Elsword off. "I have never heard of such phenomenon, could you give us more information?" He smiled warmly-I was grateful he wasn't judgmental about it, if he was he did a great job of hiding it.

I shook my head," I..uh...actually didn't know till the attack." My eyes darted the room. "Umm, I don't know how I got the demonic powers. In fact, I have no memories once I'm in that... demonic state."

I tightened my lips together with heart racing wildly. Maybe revealing so much at once wasn't the smartest move.

"So if you were to go demon on us," Echo clarified. "You would have no control nor would you have any memory of it?"

I silently prayed for the floor to swallow me whole," y-yeah." I stammered.

Echo nodded while taking a large lollipop out from her bag," it sounds more like you've been possessed by a demon." She began. "From the story Elsword and Aisha told us, this demon doesn't seem to be evil."

"She's got a pretty cool demon by her side." Elsword pointed out with a grin. "I wanna look like a fox with nine tails."

"I doubt you'd be able to move without tripping over your own tails." Aisha grumbled, Elsword immediately hit her arm in response. Aisha simply stuck out her tongue in response.

"A nine-tailed demon eh?" Lowe tapped the wooden table rhythmically. "I don't believe I've heard of it before."

"It is quite fascinating to hear." Eve added flatly. "I am curious to see those powers at work. Perhaps we should try awakening the demon to study it further."

"That wouldn't be wise, Eve." Lowe replied. "We can't be sure this demon won't attack us or the village."

"I have one last question for you," Echo pointed her lollipop toward me. "You stated that you recall nothing when the demon took over, correct?" I nodded. "Can you recall unusual memory gaps in your past?"

I instantly thought back to the time I reawakened in my village, having no memory to fall back on," w-why?" I asked.

"Those memory gaps may be an indication of the demon's doings." Echo locked firm eyes on me. "Please be honest with us. Every bit of information counts."

It was nearly impossible for me to hold back the memories rushing back to me. I swallowed down the heavy lump forming at the back of my throat and replied," y-yeah. W-when I was a kid."

Echo's eyes seemed to narrow at my response, as if already forming an idea about my past. I inhaled sharply and forced my tense shoulders to relax.

"May I ask where you first experienced this?" She added softly.

I bowed my head, I could feel every pair of curious eyes piercing right through me," i-it was at Sander. T-that was my village." I answered with heated cheeks.

I held my breath, half-expecting someone to suddenly jump up from their seat and label me as a survivor from the tragic massacre.

"Sander? I don't think I've heard of that before." Aisha blurted. I instantly felt the weight on my shoulders lift at their ignorance of my past.

"Sounds familiar," Echo mused. "I'll go into some research after this."

"T-thank you." I bowed.

"We'll also try to figure out the root to your demonic powers," Lowe added. "now, Elsword, you said there's more you wanted to talk about."

I felt my muscles relaxing as the attention was finally lifted from me. I perked my head up and locked eyes on Elsword.

Elsword nodded stiffly," during the attack a strange demon stole something from the museum." He began. "It also mentioned something about an El Shard."

I can feel everyone in the room tensing up. Lowe nodded," once again this has been brought up." He muttered. "Echo, have you found anything about these El Shards?"

Echo shook her head," I went into deep research but couldn't find much." She answered, her grip around her lollipop tightened. "Every time I think I found something it leads me to a dead end."

"I-if you don't mind me asking, what's an El Shard?" I questioned quietly. At the corner of my eyes I could see Chung glaring icily at me.

"We don't know," Aisha answered with a sigh. "All we know from the last incident is that the El Shard is a strange and powerful item. It holds tremendous powers which can cause both chaos and peace. We were told there were more than one of them, but I'm starting to doubt that piece of information."

I could feel shivers crawl down my spine at the description of these El Shards. It sounded very similar to the Great World Wonders which Vapor told me about years ago. Could this be related somehow?

"Anyways," Echo continued," I did find something rather interesting, but it's also quite vague. It said that the El Shard is a treasure hidden somewhere in this world-the problem is this new information only refers to one Shard. I don't know how many El Shards are out there."

"I-I may know something." I piped in softly. "T-the alchemist at home told me something like this before."

Echo's green eyes lit up with interest. Stuffing the candy into her mouth she gestured me to continue. So I began to tell them about the Six World Wonders, wording each sentence just as Vapor did all those years ago. Everyone listening stayed silent until I was finished speaking.

"The Six World Wonders eh?" Echo nibbled on her candy. "It could just be an urban legend, but sometimes these legends do hold some truth in them."

"If it is true then that means there's still five more out there," Raven piped in rather excitedly. "We lost one to them last time, b-but we still have a chance to get the others." The team lowered their heads at Raven's statement.

"I-I will ask what was stolen from the museum tonight," Lowe said shakily; clasping his hands together. "I will inform you guys when I get more information."

After Lowe and Echo left everyone decided to have a relaxing day outside. Aisha prepared some food while everyone else played games by the river. I didn't want to waste such a nice day to fool around, so I left to train in the forest-despite Elsword's many protests. At first it was strange to be surrounded by so many trees but I soon came to like the quiet environment. It gave me some time to think of new ways to attack an opponent.

"Shadow Press!" I attacked the large tree on my left. "Quick Thrust!" I stab the neighbouring tree sitting on my right.

"Who needs a strategy when you have strength?" I smirked while pulling my spear out of the tree trunk.

I dashed swiftly further into the forest, the excitement of freedom rushed through me like a wave. I've been living in the city for so long I forgot what it was like to run freely in the wild. With no cars, traffic lights, and people to stop you. My legs instantly came to a halt at the sight of a large white creature curled up by a burned bush.

The strange creature is about the size of a large bear, its body tangled up in a maze of ropes; legs curled up from the trap. I could already tell it was a demon of some kind.

I grinned and pointed my spear at the target, its ears twitched at the sound of my movements-it was just screaming to be an easy kill. The creature whimpered like a cornered dog as I approach it slowly-strangely this made it seem less threatening as the gesture reminded me of a simple house dog.

The demon stared at me with its emerald green eyes, as if pleading for me to give it mercy. I shrugged it off as some pity act-as if I'd fall for its tricks. Staring coldly down at the creature I raised my spear, ready to stab into its tiny brain. I placed a foot on the creature to keep it still. Victory shined brightly by my side as the creature refused to fight back-it had completely given up.

"Such an easy and pathetic kill." I readied my plunge my spear into its head. "Quick Thrust!"

I stopped last minute, with the blade of my spear barely touching the creature's head," why am I hesitating?" I questioned myself out loud. "All demons are evil! They all deserve to die!" I readjust my spear once again.

_Wouldn't that make you evil?_

I sighed at the little voice in my head," but they killed my family." My heart ached at my own confession. "Why shouldn't this thing deserve to die?"

_The demons killed your family, but not this one. Do you really wish to take the lives of the innocent?_

I gritted my teeth and lowered my spear, despite my every urge to plunge that blade into its head-it's funny how that little voice in the back of your head is always right. You can deny it all you want, but deep inside you know it's right.

I gently kicked the demon before storming off. My eyes scanning through the endless green terrain.

A small smile formed on my lips at the sight of a brown furry creature hopping out of the tall grass. It sniffed the ground, hoping to find a decent meal. I crouched down slowly, and pointed my blade at the unsuspecting target, and eyes studied the rabbit's every small move-like a fox stalking her prey.

I gingerly thread my way to the rabbit, stopping once in a while as its ears shot up high in the air.

Once I was at a close enough distance I launched my attack," Quick Thrust!" My spear penetrated the creature's body before it could react, causing death to crash upon it almost instantly.

Beaming at my successful kill I began making myself back to the demon, with a dead rabbit stuck on the edge of my spear. The demon's head shoots up at the smell of food, its eyes widening at the dead creature stuck on the edge on the blade.

"I don't trust you still," I grumble while tossing the dead corpse toward the demon. "I can't imagine you've gotten to eat these past few days, so enjoy."

The demon happily devoured the dead rabbit, I sat down a few feet away from it and watched as it finished the meal. Even with its limbs restrained it didn't seem to enjoy the meal any less.

I had to pry my eyes away at one point as the demon reminded me too much of the time my Mother died. To her killer she was just another meal-an easy prey.

If only I was strong enough to protect her back then.

The sound of shuffling snapped me back to reality, I averted my eyes back on the now squirming demon. Hopping up on my feet, I pointed my spear at the demon's head," stay still or I will kill you." I threatened.

As if it could understand me the demon stopped struggling, it stared back at me with those unreadable eyes. Swallowing I hesitantly began to cut the ropes binding the creature-my heart raced at the many ways I could die from a simple attack from this thing, but luckily the demon didn't move much.

Butterflies swarmed my stomach once the last rope was cut," alright, demon, you better leave me alone or else you're dead meat." I quickly doubled back once the demon began getting up. It wiggled its tail back and forth at the new freedom and instantly began stretching its freed limbs.

I held back a smile-it was wrong to smile for a demon's freedom. I turned on my heels and began my way back.

Now which way did I come from again?

The sounds of twigs snapping caught my attention almost instantly. I swiftly turn around and pointed my spear ahead" who's there?!" I shouted.

Instead of seeing some threatening blood-thirsty demon behind me, I was welcomed by the demon I just saved. It wagged its tail happily like a dog, running excitedly towards me.

I relaxed my shoulders lowered my defences," seriously go away." I frowned. The demon rubbed its head on my leg and continued to wag its tail; I couldn't help but find this gesture cute," I-I'll admit. You actually look kinda useful." I examined its size. "I would mount you if you weren't so dangerous." I took a step away from it.

The demon tilted its head at me," l-look I really can't have you following me so please go away." I explained hastily, taking another step back—the demon responded back stepping forward. "See ya, big guy."

I took off into a fast sprint at the opposite direction, from behind I could hear the large demon running after me. Building up some momentum I jumped and glided through the air, swiftly running up cliffs and large rocks—now I just have to pray that it couldn't climb well.

While I hated myself for sparing something I vowed to eliminate, I couldn't help but feel the urge to turn around and find the big fella again-it seemed more like a dog than a demon. But then again, that's probably what most demons want you to think before killing you.

The sky was dark once I reached the quiet village (I was lucky to make it out of the dark forest in one piece), sweat drenched my body from my long journey-I could really use a shower right now. I jogged to the river, dipping my spear in its crystal blue water to wash off the blood left on the blade. I also took that time to satisfy my thirst and wash off my sweaty face.

"It was a scroll that was stolen," I perked my head up at the sound of Echo's voice. "They said it contained a riddle for some treasure buried in Elder."

"That could be the El Shard." Lowe responded.

I was about to get my spear and return back to the house until Lowe added," did you find anything on Sander?"

I instantly froze at the mention of my village. I held my breath and strained my ears to pick up on their conversation.

"Yes, but not much." Echo replied. "It's a village somewhere in the desert, many old ruins surround the sand covered land."

"That village sounds very familiar; what else do you know about it?"

"According to my research the village was invaded by a very fierce demon attack." Echo began. "No one survived, but one."

"That must be Ara." A long pause followed after Lowe's conclusion. "Ah, I think I'm starting to remember why that village sounded so familiar."

I clenched my fists tightly, slightly angry at the fact that Echo and Lowe knew about my past already.

"Did you find the reason for attack?" Lowe broke the silence.

"No, but I believe it was just a regular attack. Reasons may be for land and food-the desert isn't exactly a place that provides plenty of food and water."

"It's a shame that they all died."

"Yes, it's a very sad event."

"I should've voted to accept their offer for alliance." Lowe sighed. "Then they would've had our men out there to patrol their village, and maybe they would've survived."

My jaw dropped at the sound of Lowe's statement, the gears in my head quickly starting turning.

If Red Knights accepted alliance with us we would've had Red Knights patrolling and settling in. I thought-I tightened my grip on my spear. That would mean there'd be more warriors to fight off the demons, and our village wouldn't have been destroyed.

If that's true why didn't they accept in the first place? We were a small community surrounded by many danger. How could they reject our offer? They left us all to die! It's their fault!

I jumped up and charged toward Echo and Lowe's voices. All I could see was red and it was all Lowe's fault.

"Who knew they'd end up-"

"Falling Dragon!" I stabbed my spear onto the ground in front of him-the shock wave from the attack pushed Lowe and Echo back.

"Ara-"

I cut Lowe off by pointing my spear at his throat, my eyes burning into his," why didn't you accept our alliance?!" I challenged, I held back every desire to end his life on the spot. "You left us all to die, you traitor!"

Few villagers came rushing out of their houses, whispering to each other at the scene unfolding before them. Others screamed at me to drop my weapon and calm down; if only they knew the effects of Lowe's selfish decisions.

"Listen, Ara-"

"You let everyone in that village die!" I cut him off." Children. grandparents, mothers, and fathers died that day!" The familiar dizzy spell began taking over me. "You and your Red Knights are all a lie! You guys can't protect anybody!"

Lowe's eyes screamed fear as I inch the blade ever so slightly closer to his throat," A-Ara, please calm d-down." He pleads in a shaky voice.

"Calm down?" I laugh bitterly-the dizzy spell grew stronger, I could already feel my legs weakening from the spinning. "Let's see how calm you'll be once I slit your throat in half!"

"Ara!" Echo cries beside me. "P-please stop!"

"People like you should not be allowed to live." I felt my blade touching his neck, a dark liquid oozed from between my spear and his skin.

"A-Ara, l-let's talk about this-" He was abruptly cut off by Chung's booming voice.

"Dread Chase!"


	7. Chapter 6

****Edited** **

"Dread Chase!"

I was swept off my feet by a wave of blue lights, crashing into the icy river upon impact. The bright lights left my vision dotted with stars.

"I told you she was dangerous!" Chung's voice came booming from the distance.

Panic swept over me upon catching Chung's blurred figure charging toward me. I held my breath and forced my legs up, pushing against my damp, heavy clothes. With the last of my strength, I forced myself out the river and toward the inky forest.

"You're not getting away!" Chung tackled me down before I could take another step.

I screamed as his heavy armoured body crushed onto mine, knocking the air out of my lungs.

"Cannon-"

He was promptly thrown off my back with a cry of frustration. I scrambled up my feet, freezing almost instantly upon catching the white creature emerging from the forest's shadows. The white demon from earlier galloped toward me, teeth bared at Chung.

"Y-you came back," I gasped as the creature took position beside me.

Maybe saving a demon wasn't such a bad idea afterall.

"A-an Ancient Phoru!" Chung's voice boomed, probably reaching the ears of all villagers.

I glanced up in time to see him scrambling away from me and my furry friend. With eyes glued on us, he continued to shout for help. Within seconds, men, women, and even children came pouring out of the wooden houses, squealing and cursing at the scene unfolded before them.

"It's that new recruit." Someone in the crowd pointed out.

"I knew there was somethin' fishy 'bout 'er."

"I heard ol' Lowe recruited a demon. Serves him right."

Their every comment felt like needles. I didn't know what hurt more, the fact that I was treated like an outsider or the fact that their accusations held some truth.

"W-we're not enemies!" I pleaded to the hysteric crowd.

I doubled back as Chung took a step toward us, even the Ancient Phoru mirrored my response.

"You can fool me, demon." Chung hammered his cannon onto the ground. "I'm not as gullible as the others."

I opened my mouth to respond just as he released another glowing blue orb toward me. The Ancient Phoru countered his attack with another amber fireball, erupting a puff of smoke upon impact.

"Chung!" Elsword's voice flared just beyond the curtain of smoke. "What's going on?"

"Your new recruit attacked Lowe," Chung answered at once.

As the smoke from the attacks dissipated into nothingness, I saw Elsword and the remainder of his team huddled by Chung. Even from a distance, I could see the concern they held for their friend—the lump at the back of my throat felt bigger.

"A-Ara?" Elsword turned to face me, his friends mimicked him.

"I-I didn't know what I was doing." My voice wheezed out in a whisper.

"There's an Ancient Phoru by her." Eve pointed out. Suddenly the attention that was drawn on me drew toward my furry friend.

"N-no, wait." I attempted to step in front of the Phoru, but it wouldn't allow me to maneuver in front.

"You're worried about a damn Phoru over a demon attack?" Chung asked incredulously. "D-did you even hear what I just say?"

"Loud and clear," Elsword said, drawing his dual swords. Shivers crawls down my spine as the blades slid out of their respective sheaths. "We'll worry about that later-"

"You can't be serious!" Chung threw an arm up in frustration.

"We can work out this whole demon thing after that Phoru is dead." Elsword snapped.

Once Chung gave no response, Elsword began his way slow advancement toward us. The rest of his team drew their weapons and followed shortly behind. The Ancient Phoru snarled and pressed against my legs, as if warning me to retreat.

It increasingly hard to breathe as they drew closer. A part of me wanted to reason with them while another screamed at me to run. What I did tonight was unacceptable, it could only be punished by death. I might as well save my back before it's too late.

"Chain Fireball!" Aisha released a line of fireballs toward the Phoru before I could finalize my decision.

The demon turned itself around and pushed me away from the line of fire, barely missing the attack by mere inches itself The team, on the other hand, took its response as the threat and increased the speed of their advancement.

The Phoru's ears twitched at the quickened pace and turned itself around to face the team. The demon pounded its front paws onto the ground, igniting them in amber flames. Elsword and the others were forced to a stop as the flaming Phoru charged toward them.

"Split!" Elsword ordered.

The team abided to his command and dispersed from the Phoru's path. Eve took this chance to throw electric, blue spheres at the demon. The Phoru's ears twitched just as it bounced out of the way.

"Eve, watch out!" I warned just as the demon breathed a line of fire toward her. Eve is instantaneously swept up and over the attack by her drones' help.

With the demon still distracted with Eve, Elsword took that chance to attack.

"Crescent-" Elsword was forced to double back before he could finish his attack—the Phoru had pried its attention from Eve just in time to release blistering flames at him.

"This thing is smarter than I that." Elsword grunted, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "Alright let's try-"

"Elsword, call your team off this instant!" Lowe's voice abruptly ripped into the battlefield.

Though everyone's eyes remained on the hysteric demon, no one dared to launch another attack on it. Lowe and Echo, who were both meters away from the battle, began their way toward us. Echo looked as if she just saw a ghost while Lowe remained unusually calm.

"But-" Elsword began.

"No buts." Lowe cut him off. "Step back, you're making this worse."

The group exchange glances with each other before backing away, the Phoru, however, refused to let its guard down.

"Lowe, Ara's in danger." Elsword said as Lowe and Echo emerged beside him. The Phoru tensed upon his arrival. For a second I thought it'd launch another attack.

"She tried to kill you." Chung reminded, earning him a nasty glare from Elsword.

"Ara," Lowe spoke calmly, ignoring both Elsword and Chung's comments. "Please tell your friend here to calm down."

"But it-"

"Can't you see you've earned its trust?" Echo grinned, despite her trembling hands.

"T-trust?" I blinked.

"Try talking to it, please." Lowe smiled. "I know you can calm it down."

"Crazy old man," I heard Elsword mutter under his breath.

Lowe, who either did not hear or chose to ignore him, gestured me to interact with the demon.

"Umm, okay..." I looked down at the Phoru, blood rushing to my cheeks at the many eyes now glued onto me. "H-hey, little Phoru—"my shoulders tensed as the Phoru tilted its head back at me"—t-they're friends. Don't attack them, o-okay?"

The Phoru didn't respond at first. I tried talking to it a couple more times, despite the whispers now erupting from my team. I didn't let my shoulders relax until the Phoru abandoned its interest in the others and returned to my side.

I sighed and collapsed onto the cold ground. The adrenaline that had buzzed from the battle began to drain from my system, leaving behind the bitterness I felt earlier.

Lowe took this chance to confront me, alone. The Phoru tensed at his approach but didn't attempt to attack him.

"Ara, how are you feeling?" Lowe asked, kneeling down in front of me.

I lower my head," tired, confused; angry." I confessed in a whisper. "Why? Why didn't you make an alliance with my village?"

Echo quietly ordered the others to return home. Thankfully, no one argued with her command.

Lowe took a seat beside me," it was a vote between all Red Knight Captains." He explained in a hushed voice. "The majority went against the idea as the village was poor and wouldn't be able to sustain our troops, distance as also an issue. We proposed that the village should make an alliance with the neighbouring city Hamel, but we never would've thought such disaster would strike before Hamel could decide."

"I-I see…" I folded my lips together as they began to quiver.

"You have strange powers, Ara." Lowe patted me on the back. "I don't blame you for what happened. You aren't well acquainted to your...demonic gift yet."

The word '_demonic'_ made me want to vomit. I hated being associated with such a filthy, disgraceful term.

"I-I'm sorry," my face warmed as a cascade of tears escaped my eyes. "F-for attacking…"

"We can deal with that later." Lowe answered softly. "For now just rest, it's been a long day."

I broke into uncontrollable sob at his response. Lowe and the Ancient Phoru stayed with me as I cried, neither made a peep as I released the overdue tears.

* * *

I don't remember much after I returned home. I recalled walking into the house, its corridors now bouncing with Elsword and Chung's angry voices. Aisha, Raven, and Eve were seated in the living room, shoulders tensed as the two guys argued in the kitchen. I didn't bother interacting with them before dragging myself up the stairs and into my room.

Despite the nightmares and memories that'd haunt me each and every night, I allowed myself to rest. The past was less painful than the present.

I woke up early next morning to the smell of cookies, my stomach growled eagerly at the waft of sweets. I pulled myself out of bed, performed my usual morning routines and nearly sprinted downstairs.

"Good morning." Aisha sang from the kitchen, delivering a plate of cookies to the dining table. "Care for a cookie?"

"Cookies for breakfast?" I asked, settling myself down at the table.

Aisha rolled her eyes," don't tell me you're a health freak."

"I'm not a health freak—"I took a single cookie from the plate and bit into it"—I just think it's weird to eat sweets for breakfast."

Aisha slid into a seat across from me," sweetheart, it's never too early for sugar."

We spent the next hour or so talking about food, all the while eating up the cookies Aisha had made for the others. By the time the plate between us was empty, aside from the sprinkle of crumbs, dawn had taken reign over the sky. Birds chirped to life, filling the morning with their songs.

"Oops, looks like we ate everyone's breakfast." Aisha burped, her face flushing in response.

"They can make their own," I waved my hand dismissively.

"I-I think they'll be too tired to make breakfast." Aisha's comment dissolved my smile in an instant. "Lowe came over to explain as much as he could."

I suddenly found myself feeling nauseous, and I doubt it's because of the cookies.

"If you don't mind me asking," Aisha leaned toward me, voice dropped to a whisper. "Why did you attack Lowe last night?"

"I-" I paused; the room suddenly felt hotter. "I-I just lost control of my powers." I replied, eyes darting to the side.

"O-oh," Aisha slumped in her seat, failing to hide the disappointment on her face. "I-I'm glad you told me the truth. I know it must be hard for you."

"Y-yeah," I scratched my nose. "I'm happy no one got hurt."

Aisha opened her mouth to reply, but a shuffling noise from the patio cut her off. Her eyes widened," d-did you hear that?"

We yelped as something thumped against the back doors. Jumping to our feet, we hurried toward the sound; half anticipating a beefy burglar standing on the other side. Aisha sighed a loud breath of relief upon seeing a familiar Phoru bouncing around the patio, its tail whipping wildly.

"Hey, Lowe told us about this Phoru last night." Aisha pointed at the door, smiling.

"W-we don't know if it's the same Phoru from yesterday." I warned.

"It must be the same one from yesterday—"to much of my horror, she began her way toward the closed doors"—a regular Phoru would've attacked by now."

Aisha opened the entrance, the Phoru on the other side froze, emerald eyes pinned onto my friend as if she were a walking steak.

Aisha gulped and stepped aside, gesturing me to go first.

"D-do I have to?" I stammered. The Phoru's ears twitched at my voice; its tail resumed its wagging.

"If I go first it'll turn me into barbeque." She said matter-of-factly. "If it's not the same Phoru from yesterday, I promise I'll fight it."

Scowling, I forced myself out the house and toward the Phoru. With a blink of an eye the demon came sprinting toward me; Aisha screamed at its sudden response. Before I got a chance to cry for help, it tackled me down and wiped its tongue on my face.

"Eww, get off me." I attempted to push the Phoru's face away, but it refused to stay back.

"T-that wasn't what I was expecting." Aisha laughed nervously. "Umm, d-do you think it's safe for me to come out?"

"No—"I finally pushed the Phoru away and sat myself up"—you'll be attacked with slobber."

"Better than being eaten."

The Phoru tensed once more as Aisha stepped out," er, d-don't attack her." I blurted, remembering Lowe's advice from last night.

This time, however, the Phoru responded to my first command. Its muscles relaxed just as it sat itself down beside me.

"Wow. T-that's amazing." Aisha gasped.

I shrugged, hesitantly stroking my hand down its back. To much of my surprise, the Phoru didn't mind the touch.

"This little guy is so much cuter when it's not trying to kill you." Aisha chuckled, taking a seat beside me.

The demon's eyes continued to bore into her, though this time it didn't attempt to attack.

"I-I've read about people mounting demons." Aisha began, I felt her relax as the Phoru finally averted its eyes away from her. "I wonder if we can do the same with-"

"Did someone scream?!" Elsword's booming voice sounded from the house, followed by thundering footsteps.

"Hurry up, Elsword, one of the girls could be in danger!" Raven piped in.

"Yeah, yeah—Chung, don't step on my toe!" Elsword snapped.

The sudden noise made the Phoru tense. I promptly reassured its safety before turning my attention to Elsword's voice, just in time to see the remaining team members stumbling down the stairs.

Elsword broke free from the group and hurried toward us," don't worry, girls, I'm here to-."

Elsword skid to a stop just before he managed to burst outside. Raven and Chung came stumbling into Elsword, nearly toppling him over. Eve emerged elegantly from behind the guys, her silver hair hanging down and nightgown absent of wrinkles.

"Hey, Els'." Aisha snickered, pointing to his misbuttoned pyjama top. "You having trouble with those cursed buttons again?"

Elsword groaned and lowered his swords, the guys behind him mirrored his response.


	8. Chapter 7

****Edited****

Aisha and I remade breakfast while everyone else got themselves ready for the day. To be honest though, we spent more time pretending to fight one another with kitchen utensils rather than making food.

The food was eventually prepared and the remainder of the team ate their share of breakfast. Aisha and I settled down by the patio to play with the Phori, who had finally grown comfortable with Aisha.

The remainder of the morning was filled with housework. Truth be told, I was disappointed at the lack of action. I was expecting to get thrown in a dangerous mission, filled with mystery and new enemies—the only enemy I encountered was dust bunnies.

The adventure I craved finally came knocking on our door at noon, quite literally too. Lowe and Echo had come to reveal new information about yesterday's attack. Everyone was called downstairs to meet with them.

"I see that fluffy guy is still hanging around." Echo's eyes locked onto the glass doors as she proceeded to the dining table. On the other side, my new friend was basking under the sun's warmth.

"It's been there all morning," I told her. "Aisha and I have actually played with it earlier."

"I wish I had a fluffy Phoru in my backyard," she cooed, adjusting her backpack strap. "I wonder if it can help you in combat…"

The topic on my Phoru died out as we huddled around the dining table. Echo slid her backpack off and rested it on the tabletop while Lowe delved into their findings.

"We contacted our allies and found out more about the stolen scroll." Lowe began. No one in the group dared to interrupt him.

"After much persuasion, we were given the translations of the scroll." Lowe's eyes rolled onto Echo, who had just pulled her laptop from her bag. "Echo, you can take it from here."

Echo opened her laptop and began typing furiously into her keyboard," I think it's strange that they wanted to hide the translations from us." She said. "I mean, what's there to hide?"

"If it's worth hiding from us then it must be important." Aisha pointed out bluntly.

"Correct," Lowe replied. "Meaning we should do everything in our power to get the scroll back."

"Right…" Echo's fingers finally came to a halt. "So the content on the scroll says the following: _A treasure bright as the Northern Star rests in darkness. The sacred jewel of the sky hides within the ground, invisible to Mother Nature's eyes. If found beware of the wind, for it will lead you to death's door._"

"Jewel of the sky?" Elsword quoted. "I never knew you could hide treasure in the sky."

"It's a riddle, stupid." Aisha slapped Elsword on the back of the head. "Echo, do you know any more information about this...jewel?"

"Trust me, I searched everywhere for more details." Echo sighed. "Alas, the internet has failed me. The only lead we have is Ara's story about the World Wonders."

"We can't be sure if this jewel is a World Wonder." Chung noted. It made my blood boil to admit he had a valid point.

"Still, the words _beware of the wind _and _death _don't give me much reassurance." Echo gestured to her screen. "This thing could be a weapon for all we know."

"And the enemy has the riddle now." Raven added in a whisper.

Someone in the room coughed.

"I think we can all agree this jewel is dangerous." Lowe was the first to speak up. Everyone at the table bobbed their heads. "We can argue about the jewel's identity another time. Right now our goal is to track down the demons, there's no saying what they want with this treasure."

My heart jumped excitedly at the thought of adventure. I was finally going to attend a real mission.

"Aisha and Elsword, I need you two to search in the sewers, I suspect the demons will look there first."

"Ugh, not again." Aisha groaned. "Why am I always stuck with the worst job?"

"Awe, don't worry." Elsword said, attempting to cheer her up. "You have me by your side."

"That's the worst part." She deadpanned.

Ignoring Aisha's complaints, Lowe went on," Eve and Raven I need you two to look through old newspaper articles. Pull out anything that could be connected to this case."

Eve and Raven both nodded, neither worded a single complaint.

"That leaves us with Ara and Chung, I want you two to patrol around the city and see if you can spot anyone suspicious. I'm going under the assumption that the demons are as clueless as us, so they'll need to go around to research."

I nearly choked on my spit at the sound of my task. The perfect adventure I had pictured in my head dissolved into dust.

"That is all," Lowe waved us off. "Report back by sundown."

Everyone shifted away with their partners, already discussing their plan. I was left frozen on the spot as Lowe and Echo carried on a hushed conversation, oblivious to my presence.

A voice at the back of my head urged me to bargain with Lowe. Maybe Elsword and Aisha needed an extra pair of eyes in the sewers, or maybe Eve and Raven needed someone to help them search through newspapers—though their task sounded painfully boring, I'd rather do that than to patrol with Chung.

"Get moving," Chung grabbed me by the shoulder and yanked me out of my seat.

"H-hands off," I pried myself free from his grip. I huffed and patted down my clothes, dusting away unseen dirt. "I don't need _you_ to walk me."

Chung looked as if he couldn't hear me," if I didn't drag you, you would still be sitting there like a rock."

I grit my teeth," no I-"

"Do you ever shut up?" He cut me off, further fueling my anger. "Let's get going, we haven't got any extra time to waste. Of course, you wouldn't know anything about time management, now do you?"

I didn't know what infuriated me more, the fact that he had a good point or that he was purposely annoying me. Holding back every urge to punch him in the face, I followed him out the house.

* * *

"Quit pushing me towards the road." I snapped for the tenth time, shoving him away so I had some room to walk.

"You're just over-reacting." Chung shrugged. "It's not like anything bad will happen if you get run over."

"I could die." I scowled.

"And your point?" He smirked.

I grinded my teeth together. If it weren't for his armour I would've been beating him up right now.

"Why did I have to be paired with you?" I muttered angrily as we passed my favorite cafe. My eyes lingered on the special offer taped on its window. "Can we sit down and get something to eat already? I'm starving."

"We're on duty right now." He answered curtly. "In real life, we don't always have time to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee, princess. Maybe you should've thought of that before you followed Elsword to Ruben."

I huffed, cheeks warming from his comment.

"Well _excuse me_, Rapunzel—"I found myself smiling as his jawline tightened at the new nickname"—we aren't exactly in the middle of a life threatening situation. I think we can afford to sit down and have some lunch."

"Did you just—never mind." he shook his head, dismissing his train of thought. "We'll waste time by sitting around."

"I don't know if you know this," I whispered to him, darting my eyes side to side as if I was scouting for danger. "But it's possible to eat _and _walk."

I pulled back. Chung was now looking at me with narrowed eyes, I stared back with the biggest smile I could manage.

"Don't worry," I said, slapping him as hard as I could on the back. "I know your tiny brain isn't advanced enough to comprehend that idea. We'll take it one step at a time."

Chung looked as if he wanted to respond. I raised my brows, silently challenging him to hit me with his worst comebacks. Grunting, he turned his attention ahead and continued forward.

I continued to complain and whine to him as we ventured further through the city. Chung refused to respond and proceeded as if he couldn't hear me, but I quickly noted the gradual shade of red bleeding into his cheeks.

"I know you're still flabbergasted about the whole walking and eating thing." I pressed on. Chung cursed under his breath but didn't comment any further.

"I promise it won't hurt you." I went on, suppressing a fit of giggles.

"Well you drop the damn topic already?" He thundered just as Elder's famous fountain came into sight. His face was red as Elsword's hair, it was hard not to laugh at him.

"Y-you should see the look on your face." I said in between laughter. "You look like a tomato."

"I swear I'm gonna kill you." He dropped the tone of his voice as we approached the fountain. As usual, its waters was littered with giggling kids.

"What was that?" I cupped my hand around my ear and leaned toward him. "I can't hear you, Rapunzel."

"I swear to f-" he stopped himself before the intended word could leave his mouth. Taking a sharp breath in, he answered instead with," well it doesn't look like there's anyone suspicious here. Let's get going."

"Right…" I replied, eyes trailing eagerly at the various food stands set up by the fountain. "So about lunch-"

"We aren't getting any food." He cut me off. I scowled, but I didn't bother fighting back. "W-we should circle around the fountain just in case."

"Didn't you just say we should leave?" I asked skeptically.

He looked to the side," I-I just changed my mind."

I snorted," changed your mind? You can't just do that."

"O-of course I can." He answered in an instant. "I just think we should scan this place thoroughly—"he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand"—there's kids at risk."

If I hadn't noticed the sweat trickling down the side of his face I wouldn't have guessed his true motive. Grinning at his lie, I answered," awe, is Rapunzel feeling a bit hot under all that armour?"

"W-what?" His shoulders tensed at my accusation.

"Admit it," I winked. "You just want to stay here and bask in the mist, don't ya'?"

"Of course not," he rolled his tensed shoulders back. "I-I'm perfectly fine."

"So is the fountain," I gestured to the various families enjoying their day. "We _really _should get going, Rapunzel. You said it yourself, we don't have time to-"

"Fine," his face flushed even further. He pried his eyes off me and locked them on the glistening water. "I-I'm feeling a bit hot right now. Could we spend a few minutes here?"

I rolled my eyes in return," did you think wearing all that armor will help you survive the afternoon heat?"

"Shut up." He said without looking at me.

I followed him quietly around the perimeter of the fountain. Even when I wasn't the one clothed in heavy armour, cool mist still felt like a breath of fresh air. Neither of us spoke a single word. For the first time during this mission, I was enjoying myself.

We were making our second lap around the fountain when an elderly woman could be seen speaking with a nearby couple. She spoke in a loud, shrill voice, evidently making the couple uncomfortable.

"What's her deal?" Chung mumbled to himself.

I dropped my eyes to the ground as we drew closer to her. Chung picked up his walking pace, I mirrored his response.

"You'll agree to sign my petition one day!" The woman nearly screamed. I could only imagine the couple muttering about her as they took their leave.

There was a moment of silence. I bit my tongue and prayed for her to miss us.

"Ah, you two!" Those words made shivers run down my spine.

Before either of us could respond, the woman planted herself in our path. I held back a groan and forced my eyes up, smiling tightly at the stranger.

"You two look like an educated pair," the woman waved a sheet of paper into our faces. "Surely you'd want to sign my petition."

"P-petition?" I blurted.

The woman squealed with delight, as if I had already agreed to sign her seemingly empty paper," yes, my dear. I want our government to cease reconstruction on our beloved fountain."

I glanced at Chung, who looked angrily back at me. There was no doubt he was going to give me an earful afterwards.

"The statue in the middle is the founder of our city, his name was Wally."

"M'am, we really-"

"Wally was a greedy but intellectual man." The woman cut Chung off. Chung's jaw dropped at her interruption, but he made no attempts to be heard again. "In fact, he was the one who built the original Elder Fountain. This was his last creation before he delved deep into his Nasod studies."

"Sorry, but we really-"

This time it was Chung who cut me off," Nasod studies?" He quoted, sounding genuinely interested. I opened my mouth to interject but he shushed me before I could say anything.

The woman's eyes brightened at Chung's response," Wally was very interested in Nasods. Some believe he was secretly building his own army of Nasods to protect his position as Elder's first dictator."

"Was his...army ever found?" Chung asked; I held back the urge to roll my eyes. What was the point in asking so many questions? This is wasting more time than our pointless wandering.

"No, but many believe his Nasod army is still around." The woman paused. "Some say he hid it with the treasure he dug up."

Now she's got my attention.

"Can you tell us more about his treasure?" Chung continued to question.

"Oh my, aren't you a curious one—"the woman giggled"—Wally found a special treasure while building the first sewer system. They say he started demanding a more complex system after finding the treasure. Some believe it was to hide his Nasod army and treasure."

I was speechless after her tale. This woman was the last person I'd be expecting to give us such valuable information.

"Now, back to the petition, I want to preserve the history-"

"We'll sign it." Chung said before she could finish.

The woman blinked, seemingly awestruck at his answer. She shook out of her daze and smiled," t-that's wonderful!" She shoved the paper into Chung's hand. "Let me just get you a pen…"

After Chung signed both of our names on the woman's paper, we bid her goodbye and continued our lap around the fountain. Suddenly, the statue at its center felt cryptic rather than artistic. Based off of the woman's story, Wally was a shady character, to say the least. Just what exactly did he find; what did he hide down in the sewers—if he hid anything at all.

"We can go now." Chung gestured me away from the cool mist.

A heat wave slapped me square in the face as I exited the fountain's radius. The woman's shrill voice called out to another unsuspecting couple behind us.

"Do you think her story was true?" I asked.

Chung shrugged," it sounds like one big exaggerated rumour."

"T-that's true." The part about a secret Nasod army did sound farfetched.

"I wouldn't dismiss it completely though." Chung added.

I tilted my head," but you just said it was a rumour."

He looked at me as if I had asked the world's dumbest question," I said it _sounds _like a rumour. Her story can't be completely trusted, but it must hold some truth."

"I guess." I bowed my head.

Chung chuckled," but I guess your tiny brain isn't smart enough to comprehend that idea, now is it?" I scoffed at his response.

"Don't worry, demon freak." He slapped on the hard back, nearly pushing me face first onto the cement ground. "We'll take this one step at a time."


	9. Chapter 8

****Edited****

We returned to Ruben just as the sun began to set. Dinner was cooked and prepared by the time Chung and I returned from our long day, everyone else was already back. After a warm shower and a satisfying meal to end the day, we huddled in the living room where each group shared their findings.

To much of my surprise, nearly everyone came home empty handed. Elsword and Aisha spent their entire day wandering Elder's complex sewer system only to find nothing but waste. Eve shared her group's findings on strange weather events, but the only connection it had with our case was the wind. Finally it was our turn to share, Chung didn't waste a second to spill all the new information gathered.

I attempted to pipe in and add a few details, but Chung refused to let me bask in our victory. I had no choice but to grind my teeth and stay silent.

"Those are some very useful findings and concerns," Lowe rubbed his chin. "Perhaps we've been overlooking something down in the sewers."

"Ugh, don't tell me we have to go down there again." Aisha was looking green. "I can't stand it down there."

"This baby nearly threw up." Elsword explained nonchalantly. That earned him a slap to the head from Aisha.

"S-sorry, Lowe, but there's no way I'll be going down there again." Aisha shivered. "I-I refuse to go through that tomorrow."

"The only lead we have now is the story on Wally." Echo pointed out bluntly. "The sewers are our only hope right now."

Aisha groaned, slumping into her seat. She whispered something under her breath, probably complaining about the location of Wally's treasure.

"S-so what can we do now?" Raven piped in sheepishly.

"How about we avoid the sewers?" Aisha suggested, still green in the face.

Ignoring her comment, Lowe replied," I would like to learn more about Wally's unique hobby. If the woman's tale is true, there must be a book that documents his interest and findings."

"I like that idea," Echo said, licking a red lollipop. "I think our library holds all of Elder's past books. I'll contact them tonight and see if we can read them."

"Thank you, Echo." Lowe nodded curtly. "As for everyone else, I'll assign you all different tasks for tomorrow, you will be working in the same group."

I folded my arms and scowled. Of all the people I could work with, why did it have to be Chung? What did I do to deserve a toxic partner like him?

Then who did I want to partner up with? A voice at the back of my head challenged. It's not like I'm close with anyone. It'd be awkward to work with anyone regardless; well, maybe not with Elsword.

Flashes of Elsword and I patrolling Elder together, alone, raced through my head. My cheeks warmed at the simple thought, but I found strange satisfaction from the diea

"Eve and Raven will be in charge of patrol, Elsword and Aisha will search through further newspaper articles until Echo gets a response from the library, and our final group will patrol the sewers."

Once again my excitement for an official mission melted into dust. It was bad enough that I was stuck with Chung; but now I had to patrol a stinking sewer with him? This world really must hate me

"That is all for today," Lowe said, helping himself up to his feet; Echo flung her backpack over one shoulder and jumped up. "I want everyone to get some good rest tonight. Tomorrow will be just as busy."

"Allow me to show you two out." Eve offered.

Everyone wished the duo a goodnight on their way out.

"Let's play some video games!" Elsword exclaimed just as the front door clicked shut.

"But didn't Lowe just say we should rest?" I reminded him. I held myself back from smiling at the irony. Here I was lecturing my friend about getting a good night's rest when I can barely manage sleep myself.

"Sleep can wait," Elsword said, already shuffling his way toward the gaming console. "I won't rest until I finally beat Raven in a match."

Raven smiled at his comment," looks like we'll be up all night." He chuckled.

"Chung, you wanna play?" Elsword asked.

Eve popped back into the room and settled herself down again. Her black and white drones settled themselves on the floor by her feet.

Chung shook his head," I'm feeling pretty tired tonight. I think I'll take Lowe's advice and sleep early."

"O-oh," Elsword's voice dropped in disappointment. "W-well you better play with us next time."

Chung shrugged," maybe."

Without another word, Chung got up and proceeded up the stairs. No one said a thing as he made his exit.

"So are you losers playing or what?" Aisha was the first to break the silence.

Snapping out of his daze, Elsword booted up the console and switched on the television," Raven, you're so gonna lose." Elsword bounced excitedly back to his seat with two controllers in hand.

Raven grinned amusedly," we'll see about that."

* * *

Elsword stood no chance against Raven, but that alone didn't cease his determination to beat him. Eventually Raven purposely lost to satisfy Elsword's goal. We promptly headed to bed after the game finished; well, everyone but I went to bed.

Despite my fatigue I refused to sleep early, the longer I stay awake the longer I'm away from those memories.

The house was silent. Only the sounds of chirping crickets and croaking frogs could fill in the void. Not wanting to spend hours alone in my room, I crept out of my room and down the stairs, making sure to walk on my tippy toes.

I took in a lungful of cold air as I stepped into the patio, a white mass was curled at the center. I held my breath as the Phoru sprung its head up, ears stretched at my sudden entry. Once its eyes landed on me, its ears relaxed.

I smiled at the Phoru and tip toed toward it," I see you're still here," I said, taking a seat beside it.

The Phoru yawned, revealing its pearly fangs, before dropping its head down again. I whispered my new friend a goodnight and averted my eyes out to the forest.

A curtain of shadows veiled the woodlands and its creatures, hiding both the demons and symphony of crickets. I mindlessly pointed my eyes up at the starry sky, my head swimming with thoughts.

I wonder when this Phoru will turn on us, it is one of them. Then again, wouldn't that mean I'll turn on my friends as well? Should I be allowed to stay here; to live with these people?

I played with the golden necklace hanging from my neck," mom, I wish you were here." I whispered softly to myself. "You'd know what to do. Y-you always know what to do."

I blinked, vision blurring from the tears.

I snapped out of my thoughts at the shuffling noise behind me, the Phoru stirred from its slumber and growled," e-easy there big buddy." Elsword's voice sounded. "I only came to check up on you, Ara."

"It's okay," I whispered to the demon. "He's a friend."

Much to my relief, the Phoru listened to my words and returned to its slumber.

Elsword sighed," I thought that thing was going to eat me."

The cold evening air grew hotter as Elsword took at seat beside me. Our arms pressed against each other, he felt warm to the touch.

"How did you know I was out here?" I asked.

"Well, after my challenging fight with Raven—"he was still beaming from the victory"—I was hungry. I saw you out here when I came down for a snack."

"R-right," I stammered.

For a split second I had hoped he heard me sneak out and wanted to talk with me, alone.

We sat in silence, only with nature's songs to accompany us. During that time, my mind was a mess. Not a single coherent thought could be formed in his presence, and yet, I cherished every second of his company.

Elsword was the first to break the silence," so what are you doing out here?" He asked.

I curled my hands into fists, I was fearing he'd ask that. Sooner or later I'll need to reveal my past to these people, but it's too soon right now.

"I...uh...just don't like sleeping." I dropped my gaze down. "I-I don't want to talk about it yet."

He placed a hand on my shoulder, sending shivers down my arm," I understand." He said softly. "You can tell me when you're ready."

My shoulders relaxed at his response," thanks." I replied with heated cheeks.

"Y'know, I would've never imagined having demons on our team." Elsword quickly changed the subject. "You should name that Phoru. Call it something cool like Death Ball or Swordel."

"Swordel?" I laughed." That's the most stupid thing I've ever heard of."

"What?" Elsword looked genuinely offended." It's made up with all the letters in my name."

I rolled my eyes," hence the reason why it's stupid." I added on jokingly. "But I see your point, I should give it a name."

"Seriously, you should give Swordel a shot." He winked. "I think it's a great idea."

Ignoring him, I pondered at the possible names I could give my Phoru. I didn't want anything that would make it seem intimidating, but I also didn't want a generic name like fluffy either.

"I'm going to call it Yang," I said after a period of silence. " Yang represents goodness and light, I think it'll fit my Phoru well."

"I guess that's a good name too." Elsword muttered. "But I still say we name it Swordel."

Yang snorted in its slumber.

"I don't think Yang likes your idea very much." I giggled.

"Whatever, you two just have a bad taste in names." He replied with a yawn. "It's gettin' late now, we should head to bed."

A frown instantly replaced my smile at the sound of his suggestion.

"I don't know why you don't like sleeping," Elsword let out yet another yawn. "But we can't have you half-asleep tomorrow."

"I-I know," I pulled my knees up to my chest and hugged them. "I-I'll try to get some rest."

I highly doubt I'd be able to sleep until sunrise, though.

"Er, if you ever need to talk—"he wrapped his arm around me, enveloping me in his warmth"—you can come talk to me."

I was at a loss of words. Maybe it was because of the pounding of my heart or the fact that he was so willing to be here for me.

"O-okay," I sheepishly wrapped an arm around him. "T-thank you, Elsword."

* * *

Nearly everyone had left after breakfast the following morning, leaving a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. I was about to join them when Chung held me back (quite literally too), claiming we weren't ready to go.

"Will you hurry up?" I groaned, stomping my feet.

"We need to pack supplies for the mission," he answered, rummaging through the cabinets of the kitchen. "There's no saying what we'll encounter in the sewers."

I snort," what could you possibly need? Are you missing your prized teddy bear or something?" I smirked. "Little ol' Chung can't fight without Mr. Cuddle Buns with him?"

Ignoring my comment, he replied instead with," if you plan on going down there without a decent flashlight and medical supplies, then be my guest and walk out."

I opened my mouth to reply but he cut me off before I had a chance to utter a single word.

"And don't think I'll let you use my supplies." He glanced back at me, eyes narrowed. "I'm not gonna waste my resources on someone like you."

"Why do all the jerks have to be right?" I huffed, angrily stomping my way into the kitchen.

We spent the next few minutes taking as much potions as we could carry, along with a messy sketch of the city's sewer system, and a couple of flashlights. Once we were finally finished packing, we proceeded out to the city.

Perusal, downtown was littered with people either rushing to work or enjoying the many attractions set up by street performers. Chung led us down an alleyway. At first I thought he was going to trap me somewhere and kill me, but we soon came across a dirty, brown pothole.

"I think here should be good," Chung keeled down and pried open the sewer lid. A ladder, coated with dead bug and cobwebs, stretched down to the abyss below.

At that moment, I found new sympathy for Aisha.

"That is so gross," I shivered; rubbing my goose bump covered arms. "Why are there so many spider webs?"

Chung rolled his eyes while slipping off his backpack," do you ever stop complaining?" He pulled out a flashlight and the rolled up map. "The faster we get through this, the faster we can get back."

All the hairs on the back of my neck rose," I really hate bugs." I stated quietly. Maybe he'll let me wait up here while he goes down there.

Chung smirked," you have one of two options—"he held up two fingers"—you can either suck it up and climb down there or I'll push you in."

"You wouldn't dare." I doubled back from the opened sewer.

"Do you really want to see the answer to that?" He challenged, raising a brow.

An array of curses popped into my head, but instead of voicing them outloud, I scoffed at him," fine, I'll go down there." I muttered.

His grin widened at my response," ladies first." He gestured to the gaping hole in the ground.

I held my breath and inched closer to the sewer entrance, my heart pounding like a drum. With one final lungful of fresh air, I proceeded down the ladder. I was on the verge of tears as cobwebs and dead bugs brush past my fingertips; I nearly lost it when something crawled across my hand.

I breathed a loud sigh of relief the moment my foot reached the ground. Breakfast nearly made a second appearance as the sewer's odour seeped into my nostrils. I coughed and gagged, covering my face with my hands.

"Catch this." Chung dropped the flashlight down, I barely caught it under the inky darkness. "Turn it on, I'm closing the lid behind me."

I obediently flicked on the flashlight, illumintaing the damp, murky space. I scrunched up my face in disgust, pointing the light toward the muddy water.

"It's not that bad in here." Chung said, hopping down from the ladder. "You're in charge of the flashlight, I'll keep my eyes on this map." He unfolded the paper.

"This smell is awful." I coughed as we proceeded further in.

"Quit your complaining." Chung punched me roughly on the shoulder, nearly pushing me in the muddy water. "This is a sewer; what did you expect it to smell like?"

"I'm not saying it has to smell nice," I snapped, my voice echoing down the empty corridors. "I'm just pointing out a fact."

"And you think I wouldn't notice that fact myself?" He asked with eyes glued onto the map. "Newsflash, I can smell this place too."

I felt my eye twitch," I bet you like it too."

"The whole damn house has been smelling like crap ever since you came."

"Are you sure you aren't just smelling yourself?" I sneered, waving the flashlight exasperatedly as I talked.

"Will you stop waving the light around? I can't see the map." Even in the dimmed lighting I could make out his flushed face.

"Oh boo hoo," I scoffed. "Poor Rapunzel can't read in the dark."

"If you're so good at it, why don't you do it?" He seethed through closed teeth.

I cursed under my breath and snapped my head away from him.

We didn't talk to each other for the next few hours, snaking through the dark corridors in complete silence. The stench of the sewer eventually dissolved into nothing, it scared me that my nose was getting used the the putrid odour. Hours and minutes blended together under the darkness. For all I knew, it could be night right now.

"Stop," Chung whispered suddenly. His abrupt comment halted me in my path.

"What's wrong?" I asked, also dropping the tone of my voice.

His stomach growled unusually loud. For a split second his eyes flickered, as if he had just thought of a new idea. "Turn off the light." He hissed.

"But-"

"Just do it."

I cursed at him before flickering the light off. I could hear Chung kneeling down beside me, I mimicked his actions.

His stomach growled again, though this time it sounded louder. I was about to tease him for being hungry in the sewers when shuffling footsteps sounded just meters ahead.

"It should be around here." A raspy voice echoed.

"Are you sure we haven't passed the secret entrance to the Underground Laboratory?" Another replied.

"I'm sure, it has to be here somewhere. The Master's predictions are never wrong."

"They must be talking about Wally," Chung whispered so softly I could barely hear him.

"It's good news since they don't even know where it is." I beamed. " Let's hurry and defeat them."

"Why would you do that?" Chung asked incredulously. "We should sneak away while we have the chance. There's no need to start unnecessary fights."

"We can reduce the amount of enemies by defeating them." I explained.

"We don't need to fight them," Chung replied sternly. I could only imagine he was glaring daggers at me. "And they don't need to know we're here."

"We're fighting them. They're a danger to Elder." I persisted.

"No we aren't."

"Yes we are."

"We're leaving!"

"We're staying!"

"We're-"

An amber orb flared to life in the distance. I halted my train of thought and turned my attention the the blazing light. Every passing second made it grow brighter and bigger.

"Duck!" Chung tackled me down on the slimy ground, barely saving me from the fireball zipping over us."

Chung scrambled himself up. Five blue orbs materialized into his hand, each one emitting a sapphire hue. He hurled the orbs into the inky path ahead, their dim lighting revealing the culprits behind that fireball—three cloaked magicians, each holding a wooden staff in the white hands, and a winged demon, from the museum attack, shown under the light.

One of the five orbs collided into a magician, it exploded into blue puffs upon impact. The magician cried out in pain as the remaining orbs dropped into the murky water, their light extinguishing.

"The flashlight! Turn it on!" Chung commanded, no longer caring about stealth.

Just as I was about to flick the light back on, another blazing fireball shot toward me, hitting my wrist. I screeched, throwing the flashlight out of my hand. The muddy water splashed behind us.

"You idiot!" Chung bellowed.

"I-I'm sorry!" I blindly adjusting my spear.

"We have no choice then," Chung groaned; something metallic collided onto the cement ground.

An line of glowing blue missiles launched from Chung's cannon, their dim light helping us to see where our opponents were.

"Steel Body!" I charged forward, hitting a magician into the water.

I held my spear closely to me as the dim blue lights faded. I eld my breath, ears straining to pick up on the slightest of sounds.

"AH!" Chung screamed from somewhere.

Of course they would target him first, he's the only person here who can provide some light at the moment. I gingerly navigate my way toward his screams, swinging my spear blindly along the way.

"Chung!" I cried out. "W-where are you!"

"You think I know the answer to that?!" He grunted.

"Chung, hold on!" I felt something tugging at my ankle. "Force Spear!" I thrust my spear into the thing holding me back. I shook my leg free of the limp creature just as Chung's screams grew quiet.

I was shaking, gasping for air. I gingerly inched forward, half-expecting to bump into an enemy.

"C-Chung?" I trembled. "I-if this is a p-prank, i-it isn't funny."

I felt like someone had punched me in the face when something brushed past me.

Before I could properly react, something tackled me onto the floor, my spear slipped out from my fingertips. I was about to scramble up and search for my lost weapon when a talon-like object wrapped around my throat.

I gasped for air, but my lungs remained empty.

"Such a foolish warrior." A soft voice sounded; almost amusedly. "One cannot fight what cannot be seen. I wonder how long it'll take for them to find your dead bodies."

Stars cluttered my vision, and my lungs felt ablaze. I gagged against my opponent's grip, with only made the force around my neck tighten.

They dare to kill us through strangulation? A familiar voice growled in my head. These demons have severely underestimated me.

A sudden urge of energy rushed through my veins. I almost felt strong enough to pry the enemy off me.

This will be a difficult fight, but I refuse to lose to such shameful enemies. Do not fear, Child, I will protect you.

Just like the fight at the museum and the day my village was attacked, my mind slipped into a numbing darkness before I could comprehend the voice's statement.


	10. Chapter 9

****Edited****

_"Look, Ara!" Aren pointed to the group of men coming into the village. "Father's home!"_

_I squealed at the sound of my Father's arrival. He and some of the village's best warriors has finally come home a one month exploration, their goal was to hunt as many demons as they can before the migration._

_I sprinted toward the crowd trickling around the men, Aren followed shortly behind. I could feel my eyes widening at the sight of the demon-filled wagons._

_"Father!" I exclaimed at the man pushing past the crowd. "Father, welcome home!"_

_Father's baggy eyes brightened once they landed on me. _

_"Ara, come give me a hug!" Father opened his arms for me. I instinctively rushed into his embrace. "You've grown taller." He said, ruffling my hair. _

_Normally I'd get mad when someone messed up my hair, but today was special._

_"Aren has grown really strong lately." I told him as he freed me from his buff arms. "He almost beat Mother during spar."_

_"I wasn't that strong," Aren piped in, rubbing the back of his neck. "I-I just got used to some new skills, that's all."_

_Father smiled at my brother," you make me proud, son." Aren's mouth twitched into a small smile._

_"Welcome home, honey." Mother piped in behind us. Aren and I stepped aside so Mother could embrace Father._

_Father broke his hug with me to kiss Mother on the cheek," this year's catch was very successful." _

_Mother's eyes widened at the news," t-that's wonderful." She was smiling from ear to ear now. "We will surely celebrate with a massive dinner tonight." _

_While Moth and Father exchanged ideas for tonight's dishes, I curiously peeked at the dead demons. I couldn't help but wonder what happened to the demons after they die. Can they still feel pain after death; or do they get reborn into a different life? _

_Father patted my head," what's wrong, Ara." He asked. "Are the dead demons scaring you?" _

_I shook my head," Father, what do the demons feel after they die?" My question made Father raise his brows. Aren, on the other hand, gasped. _

"_Ara, you don't just ask something like that." He slapped his forehead. Mother pursed her lips at my brother. _

"_Why do you ask, sweetheart?" Father asked, ignoring Aren's comment. _

_"Well, the elders always say our souls don't die. Does that mean they feel the pain when we cut them up?"_

_"Are you dumb?" Aren punched me on the arm. "It's bad luck to talk about death." _

"_Aren," Mother crossed her arms. "Don't say that to your sister."_

"_But it's true," Aren groaned. _

_Father laughed," it is fine, Aren. Curiosity is just another step towards knowledge." Father kneeled down to my eye level. "Ara, tell me what you remember about spirits."_

_I felt Mother's eyes on me. This was a lesson she taught me herself, but like any other lesson that requires listening, I wasn't totally paying attention._

"_Umm," I kept my eyes away from Mother. "Everyone has a spirit. Umm...spirits can sometimes possess people and make them do bad things."_

_Mother uncrossed her arms at my response. _

_"Yes, very good." Father ruffled my hair. "When death hits us it means that our time in the physical world is over, we won't feel anything from our bodies anymore, but that doesn't mean our spirits are dead. We will continue living in the afterlife."_

_"So we still have to fight demons? Can we die again as spirits?" _

_"We won't know until we die." Father smiled softly." We shall discuss this later on when you are older. For now help me unpack my things."_

"Ara! Ara, can you hear me?!"

I groaned, my head pounding with pain—I thought we couldn't feel pain in the afterlife.

"Y-you're awake." Chung's voice softened. "This is why we shouldn't have attacked, this is all your fault."

I cracked my eyes opened. The first thing to greet me was Chung's bruised and angry face. From what I can see, we are still in the sewers. The second flashlight I had brought was now on, sitting mere inches beside us. Our backpacks were leaning against the wall, both zippers left wide open. His cannon rested beside him along with my spear.

"Are we not dead?" I asked in a whisper.

"We almost died," Chung corrected. He frowned, scratching the edge of his nose. "Uh...thanks for saving me. I-I would've been dead if you hadn't done anything."

" I was a demon; wasn't I?" A small part of my prayed that wasn't the case.

Chung nodded hesitantly." I woke up to a bright light, it was from you."

I closed my clammy hands into fists. While I was grateful the demon didn't rip him into shreds, a part of me felt disgusted to be used again.

"You were being surrounded by a strong aura, a-and you had that whole demon look on. The fight was...messy. You nearly lost."

I glanced down at my hands, dry blood coated my fingers like a layer of paint. I scrunched up my nose in disgust.

"Did I get them all?" I asked.

"No, the flying one escaped." He answered curtly. "You fainted right after, and it took me forever to find that flashlight again. I tracked down your spear before moving us to another location, I doubt you wanted to wake up to blood splatters."

Maybe he isn't that bad. If he was a real jerk he would've let me wake up in the spot of the battle.

Chung turned his attention away and began digging in his opened backpack, bringing out various containers, some empty and some filled with a colored liquid. I watched as he mixed various liquids together in a small plastic cup, creating a magenta coloured substance.

"This potion should help you feel a bit better," Chung held the cup close to my lips. "I can't rest assure you it'll be tasty, but it can restore some energy and ease some of the pain."

"Thanks," I mumbled. "Sorry to trouble you."

"Whatever, just shut up and drink."

Chung gently placed the cup on my lips, tilting it slightly so the potion can trickle down my throat; I nearly threw up the moment his potion touched my tongue. Chung wasn't kidding when he said it might not be tasty. It tasted like sour milk mixed with old cheese.I held my breath and forced the remaining liquid down my throat.

"At least you don't complain like Elsword." Chung said once I finished the drink.

"I thought you said I complained a lot." I chuckled. "Changed your mind?"

"In your dreams," Chung proceeded to return his supplies into his bag.

I snort," still a jerk I see." His mouth twitched into a smile at my comment. "What time do you suppose it is?"

"Four?" Chung shrugged, zipping up the two backpacks. "It doesn't matter. We should get out of here before that flying demon comes back with reinforcements."

Oh goody, I get to hobble my way back to Ruben. I thought with a frown.

"Here," Chung threw my backpack haphazardly onto my lap.

Narrowing my eyes at him, I slipped the bag onto my back. All the newfound respect I had for him vanished with a blink of an eye.

I should've known he would continue to treat me poorly. Why did I bother thinking he was kind? Just as I was about help myself up, he threw the flashlight into my hands.

"Hold onto that," he said, throwing his bag over his shoulders. "I'll also need you to carry my canon."

My jaw dropped at his demands," wh-why would I carry your stupid weapon?"

His nose flared at my comment and looked as if he wanted to snap back at me. He sighed and responded instead with," I-I'll piggyback you home."

"What?" Was the first thing to escape my throat.

"Yeah," he scratched his cheek feverishly. "I'll piggyback you home. It'll take forever if I wait for you to hobble back to Ruben."

"O-oh," I said, flabbergasted at his offer. He was the last person I'd expect to carry me back.

"B-but in exchange," he added hastily. "You'll give me half your dinner tonight."

I clicked my tongue at his response," are you serious?" I said, jaw dropped. "That's so unfair."

"It's either that or you can walk the entire way back, and don't think I'll wait for-"

"Fine," I snapped, blood pounding at his demand. "Just get me back home."

* * *

Chung explained to Lowe and the others about the events that took place in the sewers while I returned to my room so Echo could tend my wounds. After forcing down several more foul tasting potions, I was allowed to take a shower before joining my team downstairs for dinner, and true to his words, Chung took half my dinner. Aisha, however, was kind enough to split her share of food with me.

I finished dinner fairly quick and retreated to the living room, where Lowe was watching Echo play one of the team's games. Gradually the remaining team poured in to watch Echo play.

"Jeez, you suck at this." Elsword commented as he settled himself down beside Aisha.

"Put a sock in it," Echo snapped, fingers vigorously tapping against the controller buttons. "You're not that good either."

"_Excuse me,_" Elsword began. Everyone in the room gave a unified groan. "I beat Raven yesterday without any help, and he's the best player in this house—was the best player."

"We can see about that," Raven said, smirking.

"Raven, please don't encourage him." Aisha said, rubbing her tired eyes. "We don't need to hear him screaming like a sore loser again."

"I'm not a sore loser," Elsword answered almost instantly. "You're just jealous because you suck at this game."

Echo screamed an array of curses as her character's health bar reached zero, thus ending her playthrough.

"It's just a stupid game," Echo muttered, nearly throwing the controller down. "I never liked video games to begin with."

"You're only saying that because you lost," Lowe's comment erupted laughter among the group. Echo's face flushed brighter than a tomato in response.

"Now, it's time to get back to business," Lowe's comment dissolved any lingering laughter. "I want a full report from the remaining groups."

Elsword and Eve shared their (lack) findings to Lowe. Lowe pursed his lips at the empty reports but didn't comment on them any further.

"Well, we aren't completely at a loss." Echo chirped. "We now know the demons are searching for some laboratory in the sewers. That's better than not knowing anything at all."

"W-we don't have to wander through the sewers again, d-do we?" Aisha gulped. I found myself feeling queasy at the simple thought of returning down there.

"Not yet," Echo replied. "I got a reply back from the library earlier. They said you guys are allowed to search through their archives."

"Do you think Wally would write about his laboratory?" Elsword asked. Aisha looked genuinely shocked at his question. "I mean the dude must wanna keep it a secret. I don't think writing it down is a good idea."

"Y-you actually have a point." Raven blurted.

"What's that supposed to-"

"Wally must have hinted to the laboratory's creation somewhere." Echo cut Elsword off. "L-like a rough draft of the lab's blueprint or an outline of his plans."

"It's worth looking into." Lowe piped in, rubbing his chin. "Echo, how long are we able to look through the archives?"

"As long as we like," she answered.

Lowe clapped his hands together," in that case, I will need Aisha and Eve to search through the archives tomorrow, be sure to look through all of Wally's books and journals."

The girls bobbed their heads.

"Elsword, Chung, and Raven, I want you three to go on patrol. Keep a sharp eye out for any suspicious characters, I suspect the demons will be working more desperately now that they caught you down in the sewers."

"A-and what about me?" I piped in sheepishly.

Lowe and Echo both exchanged glances, as if silently urging each other speak up.

"Ara," Lowe turned his eyes onto me. "I want to suspend you from any further missions." He said slowly.

"W-what?" My jaw dropped at his response. At the corner of my eyes, I caught Chung smirking. "B-but why?"

"Now don't get me wrong," Lowe began gingerly, eyes locked onto me as if I was a hungry tiger. "You're more than capable of helping out, but I want you to stay behind and learn to control the demon possessing you."

Everyone in the room seemed to turn white. Some of my friends avoided looking at me while others couldn't stop staring.

"P-possessing me?" I blinked, my hands were starting to tremble.

Echo nodded," I suspect you're being possessed by a demonic spirit. The symptoms you told us seems to point to that conclusion."

I know I should be rejoicing at the news, after all, it proved I was human. Yet the idea that some unknown spirit was living inside me made my skin crawl; it was like finding a stranger secretly living inside your house.

"W-what if this demon is evil?" I dropped my gaze down.

"We doubt the demon is evil," Lowe answered gently.

"H-how can you be sure?" I swallowed down the lump clinging onto my throat.

"Every time it...takes control of you." Echo spoke the last part of her sentence uncomfortably. "It happens when you're in danger. Other than that, it just leaves you alone."

It's leaving me alone for now. How can they be sure it won't lash out one day? How can they be sure it won't betray us? We don't know the true motive of this spirit.

"Ara," Lowe spoke my name carefully. "We promised we would help you control your powers. Now is the time for us to help you."

"Just trust us on this one." Echo added. "I think we're onto something."

"But…" my voice came out dry.

"Ara, think about what you can do once you have control over this demon." It was Elsword who chimed in.

I snapped my head up at the sound of his voice, locking eyes with him. He was grinning ear to ear, like a child who had just won the world's biggest lollipop.

"You'll be stronger than you are now _and_ you can play with your nine tails." His comment made me chuckle.

"Seriously, Els'? Play with her tails?" Aisha rolled her eyes. "As stupid as Elsword's comment is, he does have a point." She bore her eyes onto mine. "I think it'll benefit you to control the spirit."

"I vouch for the idea," Eve chimed in.

"I-it would be pretty cool to have a demon on our side." Raven scratched the back of his neck. "I-I'd love to see you fight in a demonic form."

Chung, on the other hand, kept his face locked in a constant frown. He slumped into his seat, folded his arms and scoffed.

"Everyone is supporting you, Ara." Echo gestured to all my new friends. "We all believe it's best to control this spirit. So what do you say? Want to learn how to control your that demonic spirit.

I was still left in awe at the overwhelming support, the knowledge on the spirit's possession didn't seem to faze me anymore. All that mattered was my friends and what they wanted me to do.

I wiped the corner of my damp eyes with my thumb," I'll do it." I answered. The room erupted into cheers at my answer.


	11. Chapter 10

****Edited****

Everyone left for the assigned tasks that following morning. I was left behind with Echo, she was going to help me communicate and possibly control the demon possessing me. Admittedly, I was shaking at the thought of contacting the unknown demon.

What was I going to say to it? How should I ask for its permission to take control? I kept these questions to myself as Echo proceeded with her plan.

She sat me down in the living room and asked me to meditate. I didn't last five minutes. At first it seemed like a pretty easy task, but that fantasy faded real quick after my legs, arms, and necks began randomly itching.

I barely hit the twenty minute mark as I continuously yawned, sneezed, and squinted my eyes open. Needless to say, Echo was not very pleased with my progress. She eventually gave up once the afternoon hit. We spent the rest of the day playing Elsword's video game. Unsurprisingly, I lost every round I played against Echo.

"Another victory!" Echo pumped her hand into the air. I groaned and dropped my controller on the ground.

"It's just a game," I huffed. "Who cares?"

"What was that? I can't hear you over my amazing victory!" She squealed. " I love video games!"

I left to play with Yang, who was still lingering on our patio, while Echo played with the game by herself. It as almost amusing to hear her rage as she lost nearly every match.

Twilight had take reign of the sky by the time Elsword and the others returned. Echo and I were in the middle of cooking dinner when the team stomped inside, clothes muddy and dripping wet.

"How was your-" I gagged at the putrid stench emitting from the group.

"Sorry, we went sewer hunting." Elsword grinned sheepishly. "We kinda fell in the water."

"Ugh, I need to take a ten hour shower." Aisha dashed up the stairs, I took quick notice of a brown blob clinging onto Aisha's hair. The dinner, that was currently cooking in the kitchen, didn't seem appetizing anymore.

"Sewer hunting?" Echo emerged from behind me. "Lowe never said anything about going down there."

"Aisha and I found some interesting information at the library, thus we decided to do some exploring." Eve explained, seemingly unaffected by the brown stains on her dress. "We met up with the others and exchanged information with them."

"We decided to go exploring as a group," Elsword continued. "But as we were exploring, demons ambushed us."

"I think I accidentally swallowed some of the water when they pushed us down," Raven was looking unusually pale.

"Gross," Echo shivered. "I can't help you if you accidentally swallowed dirty toilet water, but I _can_ do something about your clothes. I have the perfect potion to wash away all that...waste."

"I am forever in your debt, Echo." Eve replied with the smallest of smiles.

"Let me run home and get the potion," Echo said, gingerly treading around the group, making sure to avoid touching them. "While I'm at it, I'll get Lowe to come over. He's gonna want to hear about this."

* * *

Lowe burst into laughter upon arriving. It was almost impossible to not laugh along with him as he was nearly out of breath from laughing, The team wasn't too happy with his response.

It took forever for everyone to finish cleaning up. I guess I can't blame them, considering how gross the sewer water may be—and how long Aisha's shower was.

Everyone was in their casual wear by the time they had all finished cleaning. Dinner was sitting on each of their plates, but no one had the appetite to eat, I can't blame them.

"So, what did you all find?" Lowe asked once realizing no one was in the mood to eat.

"We found a lot of books relating to Nasod Technology," Eve said, pushing her plate of beans away. "We also found a journal of his."

"Did you find anything interesting in his journal?" Lowe interrogated.

Aisha shook her head," he mainly wrote about the success of his growing city."

"But we did find a second journal in his library," Eve added. "It was disguised as an innocent cookbook, we only came across it by accident. It was all written in Nasod code."

"Wow," Echo whispered, eyes glistening at the information.

"As the Queen of Nasods, I was able to read the journal—"Eve grinned proudly"—According the journal, Wally had been constructing a Nasod in his lab. He stated that his _Secret Laboratory_ was somewhere underground. The Nasod was said to be built with a strange orb as its source of energy_. _The orb was supposedly found during the construction of the sewers."

"Did he state where this laboratory is?" I asked.

Aisha frowned," He never stated the exact location of this laboratory, but Eve drew a hypothesis of its location." She gestures Eve to speak.

"Wally must have needed a simple route to his Secret Laboratory," Eve began flatly. "It would be safe to assume his lab was somewhere close to his home; in other words, his castle."

"So going under that assumption," Lowe commented incredulously. "You guys went running into the swears again?"

"We're positive that laboratory is under there," Aisha answered firmly. "There were so many demons scattered around that area. They beat us just from their sheer numbers."

Lowe snickered, earning him nasty glares from the team.

"It's strange though." Echo said, ignoring Lowe's response to the team's failure. "When the first two groups went there were barely any demons in there."

"M-maybe the demons are thinking the same thing as Eve." I suggested.

Nearly everyone's eyes bulged at my comment.

"We can't be sure…" Lowe began hesitantly. "The demons could just be searching as a bigger group."

"Searching by Wally's Castle? The place that crazy dictator could've hidden his lab?" Elsword challenged. "Lowe, I-I think we need to act now.

"Are you suggesting to fight them tonight?" Lowe asked with arms crossed. "Do you understand how dangerous that is?"

"Sir, if we let this El Shard fall into their hands they will most likely use its power to destroy the city." Elsword began desperately. "We can't take that chance and put our city in danger. Please...let us fight tonight."

All eyes land on Lowe. There was a low humming radiating through the room as Lowe pondered through his options.

After what felt like hours had passed, Lowe sighed," Echo, do you think you can give them a strengthening potion?" Elsword broke into a toothy grin.

"I think I can whip up something quick." She bounced away from the group to prepare the potion.

"Thanks Echo." The gang thanks in unison.

"Ara, I will ask that you stay behind on this mission." Lowe added before any of us could celebrate further.

"What?" I furrowed my brows. "W-why?"

"This mission is far too dangerous for a new Knight." He explained sternly. "I don't want anything bad happening to you."

"Lowe, I-I can protect myself." I explained, eyes burning with tears. "I-if something does happen-"

"You'll rely on that demonic spirit to protect you?" Lowe finished for me.

I snapped my mouth shut, cheeks flushing.

"Ara, you can't rely on that spirit alone. Yes, it has saved you in the past, but it won't always be able to win." Lowe elaborated. "You can help in similar missions when you have more experience."

"O-okay," I mumbled.

The smell of strawberries burst into the air, I could only imagine it was brewing from Echo's potion.

* * *

Lowe provided each person a waterproof flashlight and a small bag of smoke bombs; everyone but me of course. I grudgingly waved my friends goodbye on their way out.

Echo was kind enough to stay with me until the team returned. She insisted on spending the night watching TV while eating all the food from the fridge. While I knew I should relax and enjoy my night, I couldn't stop myself from thinking about my team.

Were they really going to find the Secret Lab tonight; or will the come home empty handed? A part of me wished they wouldn't find anything. It wasn't fair that I was stuck at home while they were out adventuring.

"Oh stop frowning already," Echo threw a hand full of popcorn at me. "Look on the bright side, you aren't cold and wet in some smelly sewer."

"But I want to be running through smelly cold sewer water." Okay that sounded much better in my head. "It feels so weird to sit here, and do nothing." I added, readjusting my hairpin.

Echo stuffs another hand full of popcorn into her mouth," you're crazy." She said jokingly, but I couldn't bring myself to laugh.

I sigh while hugging my knees," it's just hard to do nothing." I admit quietly. "I hope everyone is okay."

"They'll be fine, don't worry about it." Echo gives me a buttery thumbs up. "Now, let's find something funny to watch."

She grabbed the remote and clicked through the various channels. I sighed, plucking several pieces of popcorn off her bowl.

Her finger froze as the news channel popped onto the screen, I found myself choking at the report.

"_Elder city is currently overrun with demons." _The news anchor spoke in a robotic tone. A helicopter footage of the burning city played on the screen. "_Red Knights have been called on the scene to aid in the fight, but it doesn't seem-"_

The channel changed before the anchor could finished. I cursed, narrowing my eyes on Echo.

"They'll be fine," Echo said in an instant.

"Echo-"

"No, if you watch any further you'll want to help them." Echo avoided looking me in the eye.

"I-I wouldn't go running into Elder." I darted my eyes to the side.

"We both know you're lying."

A _ding _sounded from the kitchen, indicating the brownies were finally finished.

"I'm gonna go get the brownies," Echo shoved the bowl of popcorn in my hand and stood up. "I better not hear the news channel play in the background."

Echo stormed into the kitchen before I could reply. Huffing, I slumped into the couch and dug my hand into the buttery popcorn.

Possible scenarios of the fight flashed through my head. Each thought pointed to the possibility of my team dying, crying out for help. Yet here I was, stuffing my face with popcorn while my friends sacrificed their lives for the city.

_Your captain does not believe in our power. _

The voice whispering in my head made my blood go cold.

Was that my imagination? Maybe it was the demon—no, it can't be. It's probably due to my stress level, I'm slowly losing it.

_Why do you deny me so quickly? All I have ever done is help you._

I dropped the bowl of popcorn, my heart now racing in my chest. I darted my head back and forth, searching for a possible source of the voice.

_I have been with you since the day I saved you in Sander. You would not be standing here if you had not found me. _

Something clicked at the back of my mind. That huge gap in my memory after Mother was murdered; all those demons that were dead when I woke up. It all made sense now.

_I have been waiting for the perfect time to reveal the truth. Now is that time._

The world was starting to spin, my eyelids suddenly felt like weights. I struggled to keep them open, but the harder I struggled the heavier they became

_It is time to meet me, face to face. _The voice whispered as I allowed my eyes to shut.

* * *

I woke up to the star cluttered sky. Each tiny speck of light shone like diamonds. For a brief second I forgot about my whereabouts. All that mattered was the millions of twinkling dots glowing in the heavens,

"Ara," a voice snapped me out of my daze.

I yelped and scrambled onto my feet, every inch of my body froze at the white fox standing meters before me. The ground was as clear as glass, reflecting both the stars and the fox on its surface.

The fox bore its golden eyes onto mine, studying me like a piece of meat. The edges of its ears were crimson red, along with its claws. Nine slender tails waved behind the fox, like a flag on a windy day.

"W-who are you?" I doubled back, tripping on my own feet.

"My name," the fox spoke without moving its mouth. "Is Eun. I am the...demon that has protected you all these years."

"P-protected me?" I stammered.

"Yes, it was I who protected you from the demons in Sander." Eun took a step toward me. I held my breath, half-expecting it to pounce on me. "You were lucky, Child. Had you not found my vessel that day, you would not be alive today."

"Y-your vessel?" I repeated, shakily helping myself back on my feet.

"The fox hair pin," Eun explained. "My spirit was sealed by your family long ago. They feared my powers, yet they could not kill me. The only way to defeat me was to capture my soul."

"I-if my family trapped you…" I was already backing away. "T-then…"

"I am evil?" Eun chuckled dryly. "Child, do you truly believe I am evil?"

Eun trudged forward, every step it took sent ripples through the reflective ground. I wanted to run, scream; do anything to get away from the fox, but I couldn't move. My legs remained locked in place and my voice, mute.

"Ara, I have a favour to ask of you." Eun sat itself down. I didn't realize how big Eun was until it was merely inches away, its height nearly exceeding my own.

"W-what do you want?" I blinked.

"I want your help."

"My help?" I squinted my eyes. "What could I possibly do for you?"

A part of me wished I hadn't said that as several ideas popped in my head.

Eun tilted its head up to the stars," I was born in an era after the unspeakable war, my herd made sure I understood the events that transpired." Eun rolled its head down, eyes piercing into me once again.

"The conflict between humans and demons have always been an issue. However, one conflict dragged the world into such devastation, those who lived through it dared not to speak of it again. Though I was lucky to even hear of such events, my herd never elaborated the details of the conflict; however, they did tell me about the El Shards."

My heart leapt with excitement at Eun's mention of the Shards," y-you know about the Shards?" I couldn't keep myself from grinning.

"I do not know their role in the war," Eun explained. "But I was warned about the Shards' power."

Eun leaned closer, eyes flashing dangerously onto mine," one Shard can wipe out a city, two can destroy a valley, three has the power to snap mountains in half...I think you see my point."

"T-then Elder-" I choked up before I could finish my sentence.

Eun leaned back," yes, if an El Shard is in that city, all hope is lost for its citizens." Its tails ceased all movement. "On the day of your village's attack, I overheard the enemies speaking about the Shards. I feared that others may be seeking them out. The devastation they will leave behind...it is unimaginable."

"H-hold on," I held my hands up. "How do I know you aren't lying to me?"

Eun bared its teeth," how can i possibly prove my point? I cannot show you the destruction of a Shard."

Once again I found myself speechless before Eun, legs trembling under my weight.

"You wanted to control yourself when my powers were activated, did you not?" Its question caught my undivided attention. "Then allow me to earn your trust."

I gasped," are you saying…?"

"You will be able to control your body and mind when I lend you my powers." Eun's answer made me want to leap for joy. This was much easier than meditating. "However, I will only lend you my strength if you agree to help me seek out the remaining El Shards."

The world seemed to stop spinning. I bit my lip, eye staring at the starry ground. Having Eun's power would help me grow stronger, but I can't completely trust its story about the Shards. There was no evidence to back it up.

"What if I refuse to help you?" I asked.

"Then I will not come to your aid." Eun shot back.

What would Mother and Father do; what would Aren do? Would they risk their body and soul in exchange for a demon's help? Or would they turn down its offer and rely solely on their strength.

"I would decide quickly if I were you." Eun warned calmly. "Your friends i Elder cannot wait forever."

That comment alone finalized my decision. Mother and Father wouldn't leave anyone close to suffer, they'd risk everything to save them. I had to do the same.

"Fine," I rolled my shoulders back and looked up at Eun. "I'll help you."

Eun's eyes softened on me," good choice." Its nine tails continued to sway once again. "Then the contract to complete. From this day forth, you will aid me in my mission and I will lend you my power."


	12. 12

I jolt awake - as if I had just awakened from a nightmare. Quickly looking around I notice I am in the same position as I was before, food is still scattered throughout the floor, and the movie is paused. I run my fingers through my hair, wondering if all that was just a dream.

"Ara!" Echo suddenly tackles me with a tight hug. "I was so worried about you!"

"What happened?" Please don't tell me I was just talking loudly to myself this whole time.

"Well you fell in some sort of trance when I came back," she replies shakily. "You were just staring at the ceiling. I tried talking to you but you wouldn't snap out of it!" She began to cry. "I was so worried! I-I began reading on the possible causes of your trance, but—"

"It's okay!" I quickly cut her off. "I'm fine!"

"What happened?" Echo quickly wipes her tears dry. "Were you in pain or anything?"

I shake my head," I met Eun." I reply with a toothy smile. "Eun is the demon possessing me! W-we made a contract and now I'm stronger and—"

"Wow, really?!" Echo interrupts. "That means this Eun thing is good, right?"

_ Hurry we don't have much time! Eun cries out loudly in my head. If the El Shard is truly that close we must hurry and join the fight!_

I mentally give Eun a thumbs up," look, Echo, I need to go! Eun told me some things about the El Shard and we really need to make sure those demons don't get it!" Echo sends me a confused look. "I'll explain later! Right now I've got to enter the battle field."

Seeing how wet clothes will drag me down during battle I decide to change into a pink tank top, denim shorts, some brown combat boots, and a pair of cycling gloves. Sure I'll be cold during the fight, but it's much better than having heavy clothes to slow me down.

I put my hair into a messy bun before sliding the hairpin into place. Nodding at my appearance in the mirror I grab my spear and head out of my bedroom.

To my surprise Echo wasn't there to greet me when I returned to the living room. I guess she decided to head back home now that I won't be here which is understandable. It still would've been nice to say good-bye to her before I left.

"How will we conserve energy, Eun?" I ask while closing the door behind me. "Gliding will only tire us out before the actual fight."  
_We have no other choice._ Eun sighs. _It's sure weird to have Eun replying to my questions now, this will certainly take time to get used to. I will try my best to provide you as much strength in the battle._

"Ara!" I hear Echo calling out.

Perhaps this is one of Eun's abilities, but I've noticed my vision has been enhanced in the dark. Before I would need to squint through the thick darkness of the night, now the village appears much more illuminated. I barely have to focus my eyes on Echo's running figure.

"Echo? Where were you?" I ask once she reached me.

Echo takes a few seconds to catch her breath before replying," you may be fast, but running does take energy." She holds up the large saddle resting in her arms. "I loaded this saddle up with bags of potion, medicine, and smoke bombs. Perhaps it's time to take that Phoru out for a spin."

For once in my life I smile at the thought of riding Yang. Taking the saddle in my arms I reply with a toothy smile," thanks, I think it is time for Yang to assist us."

Elder was an absolute disaster. Demons are raiding the streets - causing a massive traffic jam - people are panicking throughout every corner, and some are fighting off the invaders; I highly doubt riding a demon into the city will help them calm down.

"Stay calm, Yang." I gingerly guide us around the panicked citizens. "These people are just as frightened as you are."

My eyes frantically scan the streets, hoping to spot out any entrances to the sewers. Normally I'd be able to spot an entrance with a snap of a finger, but today is a different story. With all these people pacing around the streets its nearly impossible to see an open entrance.

I pull Yang to stop, grabbing my spear I hop off my ride," stay there." I order my curious friend. "I hope the city won't mind another sewer entrance." I walk to the middle of the street; preparing for my attack.

"Suppression!" I channel energy from my hairpin to create a gravitational drop, a large crater forms beneath me as a result. I gingerly walk away from the center of the crater, the ground can be heard cracking with each step I took.

"Yang!" I call over my furry friend. The Phoru hurries over my side as I leap on its saddle. "Okay," I secure myself on. "attack that crater with all your strength."

I brace myself for impact as Yang rushes to the center on the crater. Engulfing one of its paw with fire it stomps on the ground, creating a shock wave strong enough to break through. I can feel my heart dropping to my stomach as we fall into the sewers, I tightly grasp onto the saddle until we are welcomed with a cold splash.

_Careful, we have drawn attention to ourselves._

"Thanks for the warning, Eun." I guide Yang to the nearest surface. My face scrunches in disgust at the water we just landed in," ew I think some of it went in my mouth." I wipe the small droplets of water off my face.

Yang simply shakes itself dry, almost tipping me over as a result," wow, calm down there, buddy." I gently pet its back. "Can you track down the others? I'll take care of anything that comes our way."

Nodding Yang takes off into a sprint, I prepare my spear as we rush deeper into the sewer system. Thanks to my enhanced eye sight I can make out several demons ahead of us. With one swift movement I jump off of Yang, gliding ahead of it to take care of the demons.

"Moonlight Slash!" The large circular slash immediately takes down the defenseless demons. I swiftly hop back on to Yang as it passes by me, the sounds of distant shouting can be heard - growing louder with each step.

"Where are they?!" Elsword screams.

"Where's our flashlight?" Aisha follows shortly after.

"These stupid demons are everywhere!" Raven exclaims angrily.

Yang and I turn the next corner, I can see my friends blindly swinging their weapons in the darkness as the crowds of demons surround them. There's no way they can take that on; they're lucky I came here on time.

_ 'Eun, lend me your strength.'_

_ As you wish._

I hop into the air, gliding towards my prey. I can feel a warm aura engulf my body, Eun's powers wrapping around me like armor. I can sense my power strengthening, my senses sharpening; my hair is let loose from its bun as nine white tails emerge behind me.

I am now one with Eun.

"Tiger Claw!" I knock out the first two opponents. My ears twitch at the soft sound of water moving. Turning to my right I quickly launch an attack," Matchless Truth!" I swiftly blink from place to place, taking down many demons in one blow.  
_ Watch out!_

Before I could react something knocks my spear out of my hand. My jaw slightly drops as my precious weapons drops into the murky water.

Growling like an animal I turn around to tackle my opponent down. With one hand in the air and the other pinning my prey down I let loose the final blow, digging my claws roughly down on its neck, ending its life almost instantly.

Yang lights up the battle field with its flames, burning the nearby foes to a crisp. I hesitantly dig my hand into the water to retrieve my weapon. A small smile forms on my lips once my spear was back in my possession.

"Let's finish this." I blurt out in a strange voice. It must be Eun who's talking - I guess its fair for Eun to have some control. Eun throws my spear forward," Shadoweave!" A strong whirlwind pulls the enemies towards us, sucking them in like a tornado. Eun finishes the remaining enemies off with one last deadly slash.

There was silence soon after. I can make out my friends' shocked expressions, they must be afraid that I'll hurt them," Yang, provide us some light." I order.

I can see Yang hopping to the surface as it engulfs its paws with fire, brightly illuminating the area. I bow my head down, trying not to make eye contact with anyone.

"Ara?" Aisha spoke up quietly. "I-is that you?"

"Technically it's me and Eun." I correct her. "Eun was the demon who's been possessing me. We made a contract and—"

"You made a contract?!" Raven blurts out. "How? Why?"

"It's a long story."

"You rode the Phoru here?" Elsword seems more amazed at Yang. "That's so cool! I call dibs on riding it after!"

Eve roughly slaps his arm," you shall do that after we save the city."

I frown, scanning the group for the one person who irks me beyond all levels," where is Chung?" I ask. "Did he go fighting somewhere else?"  
The group exchange glances," he went down to the secret entrance." Aisha began. "He went after this flying demon while we stayed behind to fight."

_ We should go, they must be fighting for the El Shard by now._

"I need to go. Where is the secret entrance?"

"Just head up there," Aisha points down the long tunnel. "You should find an opening somewhere on the wall."

"Thanks, oh and, Yang." I glance back at my ride. "Take them back up to the surface, it's a mess up there and it could use some help."

"Dibs on the ride!" Elsword is already making his way to the Phoru. I roll my eyes at his childish actions.

"Stay safe." Eve gives me a stern look. "I will be very disappointed if you didn't make it out alive."

"Don't worry, we'll take care." I give everyone a reassuring smile. "Eun and I need to tell you guys some pretty important details after this."

"Alright, good luck!" Elsword's comment somehow fastens my heart beat.

Gathering all my energy I begin gliding down the lone path, my eyes quickly darting from wall to wall, looking for the opening Aisha mentioned about earlier. I quickly come to a halt as my eyes land on the large patch of light illuminating from the wall - I have indeed found the secret passage. Adrenaline pumps wildly through my veins at the opening in the wall, the faint smell of metal emits from the other side.

_ Humans have surely advanced in technology_.

I look towards the metallic path unfolding before us, the sounds of gears grinding and distant shouting can be heard throughout," are you ready, Eun?" Shivers run down my spine at the strong aura emerging straight ahead. It must be from the El Shard.

_Good, it appears you have sensed this strong aura. I must warn you, whoever possesses the El Shard will be a very dangerous opponent, it will be nothing like you ever imagined. Are you prepared for the worst to come?_

I swallow before nodding," shall we enter?" I can feel Eun bursting with enthusiasm.

_Let the fight begin..._


	13. 13

I dash head first into the passage, my footsteps thumping loudly against the metal floor beneath us. The hairs on the back of my neck raise as we proceed deeper further, each step bringing us closer to the ancient treasure.

Can you hear them? Eun asks in a hushed whisper.

With my heightened hearing I could easily make out the faint sounds of shouting ahead. One of the voices belong to none other than Chung, from the sounds of it he appears to be in some trouble. I pick up my speed, hurrying to help him out.  
_ Look out!_

Eun suddenly takes over, quickly navigating us to the left as a blue missile comes crashing down - barely missing us. I glance back, breathing a sigh of relief," thanks, Eun." I smile.

Eun hands over control,_ from now on we must look after each other, you are lucky. Most warriors don't possess a demon to look after them in battle._

I open my mouth to reply, but I am left speechless at the large structure forming ahead of us. It appears to be a type of Nasod, with heavy looking armor, and advanced A.I. Chung and the winged-demon, from the museum, rage in battle around the giant Nasod, while trying to avoid its attacks.

Preparing my spear I launch myself towards the winged-demon," Suppression!" Before my enemy could react it is launched out of the air and sent crashing onto the hard metal ground.

"Ara?" I glance back, noticing Chung has his weapon pointed towards me.

"Calm yourself." I double back from the fallen demon. "I have full control of myself, but Eun can still take over anytime."

Chung's expression relaxes at my statement," where are the others?" He lowers the cannon.

I gesture my head up," they should be fighting the demons roaming around the city, it's a total disaster up there."

Before he could reply the Nasod launches numerous missiles towards us, we quickly spring back. Chung and I prepare our attacks," Dread Chase!" Chung launches his army of missiles to counter the enemy's weapon.

"Flying Kite!" I blink from spot to spot, slashing any missiles nearby.

_ I sense great power emitting from this structure._ Eun growls. _Whoever built this must've used the El shard. This would explain how it has been kept in such good condition._

"Another reason to take it down," I leap high into the air. "Moonlight Slash!" A large circular slash is sent to the head of the Nasod. Despite the power Eun and I both share the attack barely left a scratch, the Nasod simply shook it off like a bug.

Cursing I land beside Chung," what are you doing?" He glares angrily at me. "Do you honestly think attacking randomly on this thing will help?"

"Well what do you think?" I snap back. "Do a little dance for it and hope it'll give us the El Shard?!"

"Make up a plan!" Chung gestures me to follow as the Nasod brings down its fist.

"What plan do you even have?" I glide beside him. "No offense but you look pretty beat right now."

"Give me a break, I had to take care of two block heads before you came crashing by." He snorts. "Quite literally too." He adds on quietly.

"Enough arguing!" Eun forced the words out my mouth. Chung's jaw slightly drops at Eun's voice. "Chung, I hope you understand the powers this structure holds."

"Uhh, yeah?" He still seems taken aback at the foreign voice.

Eun comes to a quick halt behind the Nasod, Chung stops shortly after," you said you had a plan, what is it and are you sure you have enough energy to execute the plan with us?"

"I-I'm pretty positive I have enough power to fight." His avert his eyes on the Nasod as it slowly turns itself around - the ground trembles with each step it takes. "W-we just need to locate where the shard is. I think the shard is either in its head or where the heart is supposed to be."

"Where do we attack first?" Eun prepares us to dodge another attack. "Hurry, we don't have much time!"

"W-we should try cutting off the head. That should kill the thing, and we can safely search for the El Shard afterwards."

Eun nods," may I suggest knocking it down? We can decapitate the head easily if its down."

Something in Chung's eyes spark - his confused tone quickly replaced with a hopeful one," can you help me with its legs? Once the Nasod has lost its footing you can go knock it down."

"Very well, we'll go take care of the right leg."

"Don't mess up." He punches us on the shoulder - I mentally scowl at him. With that he goes charging towards the Nasod's left leg, with his cannon held high above his head.

I can feel Eun granting me control again.

_ Remember the plan and stay patient._

Nodding I charge towards the Nasod's right leg, swiftly avoiding the attacks launching towards me. With one swift movement I launch myself towards the target, quickly slashing the leg as I glide by. I quickly stop myself before turning back again to launch another attack," Moonlight—"

Before I could successfully launch the attack I'm violent hit with what I presume is its fist. Pain surges through my body as I'm thrown back to the wall. I can hear my head ringing as my body collides with the ground. Eun desperately transfer its energy to me, helping me to recover my strength.

_ It is much more powerful than I thought. Child, I do not know if I have enough power to aid you._

"It's okay," I squint my eyes open to see Chung being hit by a missile. He is sent to the opposite side of the battle field.

_ Are you sure you can continue?_

Tightening my fists I begin to help myself up, ignoring the pain which comes with each movement," I must fight." I whimper at the hammering headache. "I must grow strong for my friends, for Mother, Father; Aren." I push a strand of white hair behind my ear," I need to grow stronger in order to find my brother, the only family member I have left."  
_ Very well, I shall help you fight._

I take off into a sprint at the sound of Eun's support. The Nasod notices my swift movements, turning around it swings its metallic fist towards us. I quickly leap high into the air, barely avoiding the impact.

"Moonlight Slash!" With one swift movement my attack collides with the Nasod's arm, causing a small explosion to take place. "Chung, go for the legs now!"

Chung clumsily gets back on his feet. He fires his cannon behind him, causing him to be sent flying through the air. The Nasod wobbles as Chung smashes his cannon on its left leg," it's unbalanced! Now, Ara!"

I prepare for my attack, readying my spear to knock down the large structure.

"I will not let you take the El Shard!" I can feel sharp talons digging into my back. Before I knew it I'm sent crashing down, with my blood oozing quickly from the wounds.

I can hear Chung cursing from afar. He's either pissed that I failed to knock down the Nasod, or he's concerned about me. I think it's safe to say that he's pissed at me, it's the only logical answer after all.

"Foolish child, as if I'll fail my mission because of a weakling like you!" The ground trembles further as the Nasod regains its footing. I cry out in pain at the talons digging further into my back, beads of sweat drench my shaking body. At this rate I'll bleed out before the Nasod could fall down.

"Get you talons off me!" Eun takes over. Using the many tails that has grown on me Eun pushes the demon off us. Pain surges throughout my body as Eun shakily helps us up.

"You shall pay for your actions!" Eun holds out both hands, a dark orb forms between my palms as a result. A strange yellow light is pulled from the demon and into the orb, like steel to a magnet, I can feel our energy increasing as the light fills the strange orb.

"We are simply taking this demon's spirit energy." Eun explains just as the demon goes limp. "It was weak to begin with, this simple move can finish it off. This energy will not only provide us strength but it can also help patch up our wounds. The injuries won't be fully healed, but they shouldn't hurt as much anymore."

I barely noticed the pain subsiding from my back until Eun spoke of it. The orb slowly disintegrates into small yellow particles, but the energy it recieved still lingers throughout my body. Eun grants me control once the orb was nothing but tiny glowing specks of light - I help myself back up without trouble.

"Ara," Chung's voice snaps me back to reality. "How are you even standing?" I can feel his eyes piercing on my blood-stained back.

"I'm fine," I pick up my spear. "We need to take down that Nasod, can you attack the legs one last time?" Glancing back I am welcomed by Chung's confident and tired face.

His grip on his cannon tightens," if you fail again I'm going to blow you head off." He smirks. "Don't mess up, demon freak."

I snort," as if your tiny cannon could ever phase me. Now hurry up and attack it, we're wasting time, wanna-be-princess."

Chung rolls his eyes at my remark before sprinting towards the Nasod, I prepare myself for the final blow. My eyes avert towards Chung, my jaw drops slightly at his abrupt change in appearance. What caught my attention was not the white aura engulfing him, but the way his armor began covering his body - like a protective shell. The way his armor covers his head makes me wonder how he can see under all of that - never the less breathe.

"Dread Chase!" He releases the usual army of missiles. Unlike usual his missiles now emit a brighter light, and appear to move more swiftly through the air. Each one launches themselves on the Nasod's left leg, leaving behind a cloud of blue dust as a result.

I spring into action as the Nasod stumbles at the impact. My fist tightens around my spear as we approach closer to our target. Launching myself high into the air I prepare all my strength for the upcoming attack," Falling Dragon!"

I slam my spear down on the Nasod. Unable to keep its balance the Nasod falls back, smirking I launch the final attack," Suppression!" I crash down on the Nasod's head, the strong gravitational drop around me crushes the head almost instantly.

My head spun wildly while the Nasod struggled for the last time, that final attack drained most of my energy. I - we somehow managed to crush its head.

Good job, we have defeated it.

"We did it," I smile widely to myself. "Eun, where is the El shard?"

_ Look around, I sense the El shard has been exposed._

My eyes wander around the remains of the Nasod head. I gingerly thread my around, using my spear to push aside large remains and broken wires. I can feel my heart skip a beat at the dim light peaking through the piles of rubble.

"The El Shard!" I exclaim loudly. Hurrying towards the light I drop to my knees, I can hear Chung loudly making his way towards me.

"Where is it?" He stops shortly behind me.

I frantically dig through the remains, ignoring the sharp edges cutting through my hands and arms. A large smile forms on my lips as the sparkling teal gem comes into view. Gingerly I cup the glowing gem into my hands, a strong aura surrounds me at the contact with the gem.

"Wow," Chung sits beside me. "We actually got it."

"Yeah," I can't help but run my thumbs down the legendary treasure. "So what now? We have the shard, but what do we do with it?"

_ It is the guardian of the Wind._ Eun pipes in suddenly._ Ara, the city is being run down by demons. The only way to defeat them is to use the shard's power_.

"What do you mean?" I ask aloud. Chung raises his brow as a result.

_We will need to use the Shard's power to become air-born - the El Shard's range will be increased. Once we are in the sky we'll unleash the Shard's power onto the demons, it'll be an easy kill._

"But I don't know how to use it. What if it back fires on us?"

"Are you okay? Did you lose your mind or something." Chung interrupts. I simply push him aside in response.

"I'm talking with Eun, now shut your face." I snap. He sends me a nasty glare in return.  
_ I will guide you._ Eun went on - ignoring our mini argument._ We must hurry, time is running out._

Nodding I slip the El Shard into my pocket," we need to head back to the surface." I began while getting back on my feet. "This El Shard is the key to defeating all of them."

"Are you sure you'll use it correctly." Chung challenges. "What if you cause more trouble?"

"We won't know until we try."  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Thanks to Eun I was able to navigate us safely back to the surface. The first thing we encountered was a crowd of people hurrying down the streets, children clung onto their parents like bugs on a spider web, and the elderly was assisted by strangers passing by. From a distance I can make out the fighting roaring between our team and the demons - it also appears other Red Knight parties have joined in. 

"Demon!" A young girl screams loudly, her finger pointed directly at me. In an instant the crowd splits in two, creating a path for Chung and I.

"At this rate you'll get attacked." Chung punches me on the shoulder. "Why don't you hide all of that." He gestures to my fox-like appearance.

Frowning I return to my original state with a blink of an eye. I can feel the tails behind me disappear, and my hair put back into its bun. I lean against my spear as my energy drops to a lower level.

"Don't you faint on me." Chung begins to walk. "I'll need to burn my armor if I need to carry you a second time."

"You promised to never speak if it again!" I snap.

"Whatever," he grumbles. "Come on, we need to find the others."

_ Are you sure you can walk?_

I nod," I'll be fine." With that I begin to hobble my way towards Chung. He never bothered to look back and see if I was okay, but he did keep at a constant pace. Neither slowing down or speeding up. This gave me a chance to keep up.

"Careful," Chung holds out his arm, forcing me to stop. In an instant Aisha sweeps away the demons scattered around, Elsword and Yang come shortly after to help take care of the remaining enemies. A strong sense of relief struck me at the sight of my friends.

"Aisha, Elsword!" I call out to them.

Aisha averts her eyes towards us, her expression relaxing almost instantly," Chung, Ara!" She hurries over to hug us both tightly - I couldn't help but cringe as her arm made contact with my back. "Oh no!" She quickly breaks the hug.

"What's wrong?" Elsword pipes in as he climbs off Yang.

"She got injured during the fight," Chung answers for me. "It's surprising she's even able to stand right now."

"Wait, if you're here then..." Aisha gestures me to begin explaining

"I made a contact with Eun - the demon. I can control myself even when I'm in the demonic form." I began. "Of course Eun can still take over, but Eun would never hurt anyone on purpose."

"That's good," Aisha wanders behind us - probably going to check my back. "There's a lot of blood." She spoke softly, as if she's hurt at the sight of my injury.

"I'm fine." My eyes scan the battle field. "I need to use the El Shard to defeat the demons."

"Do you think that's safe." Elsword frowns at me plan. "What if you get hurt? How will you control its power?"

"I'll be fine." I smile warmly at him. "I won't be alone. Eun will be with me."

"There has to be another way to beat these demons!" Aisha pipes in. "A more familiar and safe way."

"The sake of an entire city is at risk," I gesture to the damage done by the demons. "Using the El Shard is a quick method to defeating these demons. We must do what we can to defeat them before the city is completely destroyed."

"Let her do what she wants." Chung snorts with crossed arms. "If she messes up she'll be the only one that gets in trouble."

"You're such a supportive friend." I let the sarcasm ring loudly in my tone of voice. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"In that case take Yang with you." Elsword guides the Phoru towards me. "Every hero needs a furry creature to accompany them."

Yang nuzzles my cheek softly, as if its reassuring me everything will be alright," thanks everyone." I help myself onto Yang's back. "I promise to succeed."

"Stay safe!" Aisha waves.

"Try not to fail horribly." Chung says without looking me in the eye.

"We'll be cheering you on!" Elsword sends me a thumbs up. My cheeks grow warm at his support.

"Alright, Eun, what do we do?" I ask aloud.

_ You will need to treat the El Shard as a part of yourself from now on._ Eun began calmly._ It's simple as channeling your energy into your spear, only this time its from the El shard to your Phoru. Firstly take out the El Shard and hold onto it tightly._

As ordered I take the El Shard out of my pocket. The El Shard shimmers brightly in my hand, I have to squint in order to look at the Shard.

_ I will need your Phoru to have a running start. You will need to channel the Shard's energy into the Phoru as it runs, the Shard will do the rest._

"Yang, let's go!" I order. In an instant the Phoru begins running towards a group of demons, from the distance I can make out Raven and Eve fighting off the demons surrounding them.

Tightening my grip on the El Shard I begin concentrating its energy towards Yang. For the first couple of seconds my efforts appear to be useless, we continued towards the demons without a change in pace.

"What's happening?!" I growl. The demons ahead of us notice our presence, the group begins charging towards our direction.

_ Stay calm! The Shard will not work correctly if you panic!_

Yang glances back at me, as if waiting for me to give it an order. I simply force a smile and gesture it to continue forward. From behind I can hear my friends cursing and shouting at me to attack or turn back.

"We can do this!" My grips tightens on the Shard, its strong aura quickly engulfing both Yang and I. "Yang, charge forward!"

The strong aura provides Yang strength, the Phoru charges forward with incredible speed. Just as I prepare myself to take down the group of demons ahead a strong blast of wind pierces through them, cutting through them like a sharp blade. Smirking at our new found powers, I tighten my grip on Yang's saddle. The El Shard glows brightly in my hand as Yang leaps into the air, strong currents of wind rage under Yang's legs, acting as a ground for us.

Very good, the Shard's range has increased greatly up here. I can already picture Eun smiling at our victory. Now, Ara, channel the Shard's power throughout the city. This will end the fight once and for all.

Tugging back on Yang's saddle we come to a quick stop. Gingerly I help myself up on Yang's back, my heart hammers loudly in my chest as I look down on the city. I've never been this high in the air before, the sudden change has defiantly put me in a state of panic and shock.

_ You'll be fine._ Eun surrounds me with a warm and comforting aura._ I will always be with you, you are never truly alone._

"Thanks, Eun." I reply with a smile - my heart warms at the sound of Eun's support. "Let's finish this."

_ I shall be accompany you._ Once again I can feel Eun's familiar power engulf me, giving the strength and confidence to finish off the fight.

Taking a deep breath in I hold up the Shard, channeling its energy around the city. I can feel the Shard heating up as its powers builds up. A torrent of Wind circles fiercely around me - nearly knocking me off of Yang.

"Begone children of darkness!" Eun and I shout.

The Shard gives off a pulse in my hand before releasing a massive shock wave, covering the entire city. I wince at the heat emitting from the Shard as it builds up power for the final blow. With one last pulse the Shard releases strong currents of wind, sending them down on the city. Even from above my heightened senses can pick up the metallic stench covering the streets of Elder, and the final cries of demons as the blade-like currents cut through their body.

_ It's over._

I relax while the Shard cools down in my hand - the wind gradually descend us back down. The moment Eun's aura leaves me I am hit with a strong wave of fatigue. I carefully sit back down on Yang, my head spinning rapidly as we near the ground.

_ You did a fine job._ Eun whispers._ Rest, you have certainly deserved it._

The last thing I remember is falling into someone's arms as I slipped off of Yang's back. 


	14. 14

_ "We're almost done!" Mother exclaims as she fixes up my short pig-tailed hair. "Done! You can turn around now."_

_ I spin around to face the mirror, nearly gasping at my new appearance," I-I love this!" I spin around in my crimson red dress, the golden bracelets around my wrist nearly slip off as I pose in front of the mirror. _

_"You look like a princess, Ara." Mother holds out a pair of red flats. "These will complete you outfit."_

_ "Thanks," I take the flats carefully - scared that one wrong move would ruin them. "Do you think Aren will make fun of me?" Aren often says I look like a monkey, no matter what dress I wear. _

_ Mother giggles," your brother would never call you a monkey today," she began as she helped me slip on the flats. "Today is your fifth birthday, it's a very special day for you."_

_ "I guess." _

_ "Now you're all done!" Mother claps with delight. "How about we go and greet your brother? I'm sure he's wanting to see his beloved little sister."_

_"If he calls me a monkey can I have his share of cake?" _

_ "Alright." Mother smiles warmly at me as she opens my bedroom door. "Aren, come see your sister!"_

_ "Coming!" Aren replies almost instantly. I can hear him sprinting towards my room shortly after. _

_"Don't run around the house!" Mother scolds. "You could break something!"_

_ "Sorry," Aren pushes past mom and into my room. He sends me a toothy smile the instant his eyes land on me," you still look like a monkey." I pout at his remark. "But today you look like a beautiful monkey!" He quickly adds on._

_ "I'll leave you kids alone." Mother giggles as she steps away from the door. _

_"Mother promised me your share of cake if you called me a monkey!" I exclaim proudly. "Hah! You get no cake!"_

_ "In that case you won't get a share of cake on my birthday either!" _

_"Not fair!" I cross my arms. "I never call you anything!"_

_ "You're so loud." Aren covers his ears up."Calm down, monkey!"_

_ "Aren—"_

_ "I'm just messing with you." He suddenly pulls me into a tight hug. "Happy birthday, little sister. You're finally old enough to train."_

_ "I'll be stronger than you one day!" I reply loudly while hugging him back. "You better watch out, big brother! Your little sister will surpass you!"_

_ "You keep telling yourself that." Aren chuckles. "Listen, Dad told me I may not be home often once I'm old enough to leave the village." He breaks the hug. My happy mood is suddenly put aside at the sight of Aren's sad expression._

_ "Aren?" I swallow. "A-are you okay?"_

_ "Yeah," he turns away to rub his eyes. "I just don't want to leave the village. I'll miss our parents and you."_

_ "But we'll always be here waiting for you to come home. It's like when we wait for daddy to return." I hesitantly grab his hand. "When you come home we'll have a big party, with lots and lots of cake!"_

_ Aren glances back," really? You won't be mad if your big brother isn't home often?" _

_ "Well, of course I'll be sad. Home won't be the same without my big brother." Something in Aren's eyes spark at my statement. "But I'll be super happy when you come back! Mommy, daddy, and I love you! We'll always be waiting for you to come home!"_

_ A droplet of water falls from Aren's right eye. Smiling he turns around to hug me," I'm glad I have you as my sister." He tightens his grip around me. "I'm sorry in advance if I don't return. Until then I will always protect you, your big brother won't let anyone hurt you."_

_ "What do you mean you won't return?" I ask. "Don't you want to come home?"_

_ Aren shakes his head," you'll understand when you're a bit older. Come on, let's go prank Vapor."_

"Okay," I whisper aloud. A warm droplet of water trickles from my left eye. I bite my bottom lip trying to hold myself back from bawling.

All those happy memories and promises seem so far away now. Sometimes I wonder if remembering the past is a good thing, all those flashbacks only bring me pain. On the other hand, forgetting all the good times would be a terrible sin. How could I forget about my family? Something I can never have again.

"Oh, Ara!" Echo's voice snaps me back to reality. "You're awake!"

I slowly open my tear filled eyes, Echo gingerly wipes my eyes dry," are you okay?" She asks softly. "You started crying in your sleep a little while ago."

"I did?" I blurt out. I mentally curse at myself. I've always hated crying, it's such a useless function which only promotes weakness. Crying during battle will only show the enemy your weak point.

"Are you in pain?" Echo asks - her face pale from concern. "You had some pretty rough injuries, and let's not forget the fact that you were dangerously weak after the fight."

"I'm fine." I began helping myself up. To my surprise there was no pain hammering on my back. "How long was I out for?"

"A couple of days." Echo replies while helping sit up. "I used some pretty strong potions to help speed up your recovery. You may feel a bit dizzy because of that."

"It's fine." I study my surroundings. No longer am I in the ruins of Elder, instead I am back in my room - with a plain white T-shirt and some grey sweatpants. "Was I able to exterminate all the demons?"

"Yup," Echo began in a more cheerful tone. "To say Lowe was shocked is an under statement. To be honest, I didn't even think the El Shard had that much power, I guess it's good that we got it, right?"

"Yeah." If we hadn't got the El Shard who knows what could've happened?

"So how's the demon?" Echo sits herself on the edge of my bed. "You two getting along?"

"Eun's a great help." I answer almost instantly. "Eun gave me power to fight, and provided me comfort during the battle."

_ It is all thanks to you._ Eun pipes in._ If you never made a contract with me we wouldn't have gotten the El Shard. Ara, I must thank you for all your effort. _

"Everyone is downstairs," Echo smiles warmly at me. "They're still pretty tired, but would you like to drop in and say hi?"

"Of course!"

Nodding Echo helps herself up, holding her hand out she says," let's not keep them waiting then."

"Ara!" Aisha hugs me the instant I reached the bottum step. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Good morning!" I hug her back. "How are you guys feeling?"

"Much better," Raven answers from the living room. "It'd be better if I could beat Eve at this stupid game!" He presses his controller madly.

"A simple human like you cannot beat a Nasod," Eve replies calmly. "Oh look at that you ran off the stage."

"Shut it! I was distracted!"

"Hey, Ara!" Elsword emerges from the kitchen - greeting me with a playful punch on the arm. "I see you're up and walking again!"

"Don't hit her!" Aisha scolds. "She's already been through a lot!"

My face instantly warms at the sight of Elsword," it's fine." I play with a strand of loose hair. "I'm feeling much better now."

"See, Aisha, she's a strong girl! Unlike you." He rests his arm on my shoulder - I bite back a toothy grin in return.

"Elsword, you jerk!" Aisha stomps her feet on the ground. "You're lucky Ara is here! Or else I would've punched that ugly face of yours!"

"Ohh kitty has claws." Elsward teases. Aisha grinds her teeth loudly as he laughs loudly at her.

"Elsword, you—"

"You two are hopeless!" Echo cuts her off. "Honestly, can't we have a day where we all just get along? You guys are supposed to be a team!"

"Oh, do you guys know where Chung is by any chance?" I quickly ask before Elsword and Aisha could get into another argument.

"He's out in the back." Aisha's voice rings with confusion. "I thought you two hated each other; why are you looking for him now?"

"Just need to say something to him." I hesitantly brush Elsword's arm off me. "Don't worry I promise not to yell at him." I reassure with a warm smile.

Echo rubs the bridge of her nose, shaking her head," as long as you keep to that promise. The last thing I need is more shouting."

"If it was Aisha she would've devoured his head." Elsword whispers to himself with a small snicker.

Aisha glares icily at him," you suck at whispering!" She curses loudly at him.

"Wow calm down there." Elsword holds his hands up in defeat. "I was only joking."

"Sure you are!" Aisha takes a step closer to him. I simply turned away from the argument the moment Aisha brought her knee up - Elsword cried out loudly in return. "Oops, I was only joking." She says sweetly - probably with an innocent smile.

I roll my eyes as I walk out the back door, even from the outside I can hear Elsword cursing loudly at Aisha. My stomach twists into knots at the sight of Chung seated by the river bed - Yang curled asleep beside him. Sighing deeply I begin my way towards him, bracing myself for him to snap at me the moment I get too close.

"H-hey." I greet sheepishly - my sudden appearance makes him jump slightly.

Chung glances back at me with tired blue eyes," what do you want?" He turns his attention back to the river.

I hesitantly stand beside him," may I sit here?" I ask. He doesn't respond - keeping his eyes glued on the running water. "Er, I'm sitting down now." I help myself down on the damp grass.

Silence quickly falls between us, with only the sounds of nature to fill the void. My eyes can't help but wander towards Chung - I would shuffle a few inches away from him each time he caught me looking. I guess it's just strange to see him in a navy blue sweater and black shorts - he seems much more vulnerable without that thick layer of armor.

"Seriously, what do you want?" He breaks the silence. "If you're here to bother me then do it another time. I'm not in the mood to deal with you."

"Can't I just come to see you? After all, you were the one to help me defeat that Nasod." I try to keep my eyes fixed on the river.

"I'm not your friend," he snaps. "So leave!"

"Who says I thought of you as my friend?" I snort - holding myself back from glaring at him. "I just wanted to say thanks, or is that too much for you to handle?"

"Is that all?" He grumbles. "If so then get out of here!"

_ This human is certainly rude! _ Eun pipes in._ I do not see the need to continue talking to him!_

"Eun isn't a big fan of you." I point out with a scowl. "If you keep this up people will think badly of you."

"Why would I care?!" I flinch at his outburst. "Give me one reason to care!" I snap my head towards him, anger boiling as he keeps his gaze fixed on the running water.

"Look at me!" I growl - grabbing his ear, I forcefully turn his thick head towards me. "You're a good person, it'd be wrong for people to think badly of you!"

Chung slaps my hand away," and what would you know?" He glares at me. "I hate you and you hate me! That's the only thing you and I know of each other!"

I'd be lying if I said his comment didn't hurt me. Of course I'm still not a big fan of him - I never will be - but I've gotten to know him just a bit better throughout the past events. I'll admit it. He isn't that bad of a person.

"If you were really such a bad person you wouldn't have such great friends." I began sternly." And you certainly wouldn't have carried me to a clean spot that one time in the sewers."

"What happened to never speaking of it?" He says through clenched teeth. "Besides it was only one time, don't over-think it you demon freak."

"There was another time," I add on with a smile. Helping myself up to my feet I went on, "you wouldn't have caught me when I slipped off of Yang if you were truly a bad person." I began walking back to the house.

"And why in the world would you think it was me?" He challenges.

I pause, looking back I reply," your armor isn't exactly soft" I wink. " I may not like you, but I know that you aren't a bad person. It'd be a shame for others to think otherwise about you, Rapunzel." With that I continue my way back inside.


	15. 15

"You can't go to the dinner with that!" Aisha gestures to my traditional robe. "We are going to a formal dinner, you must wear something pretty."

I cross my arms at her remark," excuse me but this is a traditional robe!" I point out. "Sorry if this style doesn't fit your description of pretty."

I must admit, Aisha looks stunning with her purple gown and hair down, but that gives her no excuse to look down on a traditional Sander robe.

Aisha's expression soften," look I'm sorry for offending you." She sighs," it's just we don't usually go to these kind of dinners without something really fancy on."

"Since when did you care about looking good?" Elsword pipes in while fixing up his red tie. "You used to always complain about not being able to go in a sweater and jeans."

"You know perfectly well why I care now!" Aisha snaps back. I can't help but notice the hurt in her tone of voice.

"Ohh," Elsword began quietly. "I-I'm sorry. Didn't mean to—"

"Enough," Aisha closes her eyes. "Let's not talk about it."

"So what's with the sudden dinner party anyways?" I ask - trying to change the subject.

"It's a thank you party," Aisha forces on a smile. "All the parties that helped with the battle in Elder are invited."

"Thanks to you we're the main guests," Raven adds on nonchalantly as he fixes his hair. "I bet they have all the fancy food saved for our team."

"So what happened to the El Shard?" I question. For the past week we haven't spoke of the El Shard - aside from the time I told everyone about my new found knowledge on the Shards. For the most part we were relaxing at home - waiting for Lowe to give us something to do.

"I think Lowe will explain that part tonight." Eve joins the conversation. My jaw nearly drops at her appearance. She has on a stunning pink gown, with her silver hair let down, and a sparkling diamond necklace - her drones hover closely beside her.

"The Queen is always a show off," Raven rolls his eyes. "Anyways we're going to be late."

"What about Chung?" I point out - I wonder why no one is nagging him to hurry up. "Isn't he still upstairs?"

"He left while everyone was still getting ready." Elsword replied while opening the door. "That guy probably just wants some time alone."

The group exchange glances, their eyes filled with great sadness- I wonder what has caused them to grow so sad.

"I still can't believe I have to walk through the forest in my dress!" Aisha whines as we walk out the door.

"It's a shame we can't take Yang with us." I give my Phoru a wave, it let out a yawn and proceeds to the back of the house.

_ It's a beautiful evening._

I nod, agreeing with Eun's statement. Tonight the sky is clear, without a cloud in sight, the colours of sundown painting the heavens like a large canvas; crickets chirp loudly to fill in the peaceful silence.

_ Let's go on a run, the air is perfect for a short run._

'Good idea, Eun!' I respond mentally.

"I'm going to go ahead!" I announce loudly. "I'll meet you guys at Elder!" With that I begin to glide through the forest, ignoring the calls from my friends as I navigate freely around the trees, like a bird let back into the wild.

"This is the place." Elsword glances between his slip of paper and the restaurant in front of us. It's practically one of the only buildings that hasn't been terribly damaged - with only few scrapes and broken windows to show for.

"It's still a shame that Elder has been so damaged." Aisha frowns at the abandoned streets. " I wonder when they'll get everything fixed."

"Don't really know but don't really care." Raven pushes the restaurant doors open. "All I want is to get a taste of some fancy food!"

"You're hopeless." Aisha shakes her head.

I awe at the restaurant the moment we step inside. A large chandelier hung directly above what appears to be a dance floor - its light reflecting brightly off the marble floor; large round tables are arranged around the large dance floor. A pianist is playing a soft melody for the guests on the stage, from a distance I can see Lowe talking with two other strangers.

_ Why must humans put so much effort into a building like this?_ Eun wonders. _It's just a place to eat, I do not see the point of all this work._

"Let's go greet Lowe!" Aisha suggests. "This is a perfect time for Ara is meet other captains."

"There are other captains are here?" I swallow as we began walking towards him. "I-I didn't know that." I would've fixed my hair more if I had known there would be other captains here.

"I'm sure Lowe put in a good word for you," Raven reassures me with a pat on the the back. "Come on, let's not keep them waiting."

"Lowe!" Elsword greets loudly. Lowe and the strangers turn their head at us, several of them glaring at Elsword's sudden interruption.

"You are rude as always," a man with dark blue hair frowns. "Even in a formal place like this you cannot keep that mouth shut."

"Much like his sister," a woman with light blue hair adds on. Her eyes scan the group, I nearly collapse as she stops to stare at me. "You look different, why did you dye your hair black?" She asks me while readjusting her glasses.

"This is the new member," Lowe responds for me. "Her name is Ara, this girl was the one to stop the demons." He announces the last part proudly.

The woman nods," sorry, Ara, for my rude introduction. I mistakened you for someone else." She turns her attention back to Lowe. "I understand what you meant now."

"Ara, this is Vanessa. She is one the the Red Knight captains." Lowe gestures to the man beside her. "This is Lento, he works along side with Vanessa"

"So you're the famous demon girl." Lento sends me a toothy smile. "It's very nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, Vanessa." I give a polite bow to her. "And you too, Lento." I give the same bow to Lento.

"She's got very good manners." Vanessa replies with a nod. "I would prefer if she took over as the leader of this party."

"Hey! Ara, stop being so well-mannered! You're making me look bad!" Elsword sends me a fake glare.

"Everyone here makes you look bad," Aisha teases. "Let's face it, Elsword, you aren't the brightest bulb of them all."

"Don't play smart!" Elsword snaps at her. Aisha sticks out her tongue in response. "So, Lowe, where will we be seated?" He asks - quickly changing the subject.

"Your table will be by the stage," Lento gestures us to follow. "Where is that cannon user? Did he resign from the team?"

"He needed some time alone." Elsword answers hurriedly. "He'll come when he wants to."

"That's understandable." Lento gestures us to the table closest to the piano. "This will be your table. The other teams will take some time to get here, so feel free to relax until then." With that he returns back to Lowe and Vanessa, probably continuing their former conversation.

"What a bummer," Raven slouches in his seat. "I thought we'd get first dibs on all the good stuff."

"At least we have a nice spot," Aisha's eyes flicker at the pianist. "We also have some very nice music."

"Let's ask that piano dude to change up the beat," Elsword jumps out of his seat. "We need something with a fast beat, so I can show off my sick dance moves!"

Aisha kicks Elsword's knee," you're so rude!" She glances between Elsword and the pianist. "You can't just say things like that!"

"Music like this is perfect for ballroom dancing," Eve points out - ignoring Elsword and Aisha's bickering. "It's much more sophisticated than the rubbish you humans call break dancing."

Elsword scratches his cheek," I guess ballroom dancing would be fine for the environment." His face flushes red. Clearing his voice he shakily holds out a hand to Aisha. "Would you like to dance with me, m'lady?"

Aisha sends him a questioning look," you know how to ballroom dance? That's really funny, Elsword."

"For your information I learned how to ballroom dance when I was little." He grabs Aisha's hand. "Quit being a baby and dance with me. Unless you're too scared to."

"Me? Scared of dancing?" Aisha springs up to her feet. "My dancing skills surpass yours on many levels! Let me put you to shame!"

"No wonder you're still single, you scare all the boys away with your venomous—"

Aisha cuts him off with a punch to the stomach," shut up and let's get this over with."

"Those two will kill each other one day," Raven blurts out as they walk out to the dance floor. "I can't tell if they're enemies or best friends anymore."

I can't help but feel angry - angry isn't the right word to describe it, it's more like a mix between anger and frustration. My fist tightens as I watch Aisha and Elsword circle elegantly around the marble floor. Their eyes locked on one another, I can't help but notice the light shade of pink forming on their cheeks as they move along with the music.

To be honest I've never danced before so I wouldn't know how to move if Elsword asked me to dance. It'd still be nice if it was me up there with him.

_ I feel strong negativity coming from you._ Eun cuts my train of thoughts._ I do not understand the need to have such negative emotions towards the duo. Aren't you guys friends? Don't friends have positive emotions towards one another?_

'I don't know, Eun.'

I don't even know why I need to feel so fowl about this situation. Who cares if Elsword and Aisha are dancing together? Raven doesn't, Eve and Eun certainly don't care. So why am I so concerned with them?

"You look like you're taking a dump." Chung's voice brings me back to reality. He sits himself by Raven while lazily adjusting his white suit - the blue tie bringing out his tired eyes.

"Shut up," I look away from him. "What took you so long?"

"None of your business, fur for brain." At the corner of my eye I can see him leaning back in his seat. "Raven, how long have you guys been here?"

"Couple minutes," he rubs his growling stomach. "I skipped lunch so I can eat lots of food here, they better start dinner soon I'm starving."

Elsword and Aisha returned to the table as more guests showed up, they each had large toothy smiles on their faces - this for some reason increased my negative emotions. Dinner didn't start till an hour later, we killed time with some funny stories and embarrassing moments - on the down side Raven kept complaining about his starving condition every five minutes; Eun was ready to take over and shut him up for good.

The food was served on large plates, with a slice of steak, various vegetables, a small serving of mashed potatoes, and cheesecake for desert. We were allowed to choose our drinks - I prefer being simple and asked for a glass of water.

"Welcome," Lowe spoke loudly into the microphone as everyone finished off the last of their food. "We are happy for all of you to show up! Firstly, on behalf of the Red Knights I would like to thank everyone for helping with the fight for Elder!" Everyone in the restaurant clapped loudly, some even began cheering.

"We had taken many risks in this fight, and through those risks we have reached victory." I notice Lowe glancing towards me. "You have all grown in knowledge and strength, may these new skills help you all fight for a better future!" Once again the crowd erupts in cheers and claps.

Vanessa clears her voice loudly as Lowe hands her the microphone," we have spoken to many of you about the ancient El Shard and the many legends behind its power." The crowd grew silent the instant she spoke. "We have one of the Shards in our hand, but that alone is not a victory! According to our resources there are many more Shards out there, the battle for the Shards has just begun! We will work together to unlock these urban legends and uncover the secrets to these Shards!"

Vanessa gestures to our table," this team is our guest of honors. They were the ones to uncover the secrets of Wally's works, and were the ones to take down all the demons." Lowe walks up with a small sack in hand. "Elsword, as the leader of this party we proudly present to you the El shard."

"What?!" Elsword blurts out - few snickers could be heard throughout the tables. Aisha punches him on the shoulder," r-right." He hurriedly climbs out of his seat and up the stage.

Lowe smiles proudly at Elsword as he hands over the small sack to him," Elsword, your team has proven themselves worthy of being the guardians of this Shard. Protect it with your lives, and may you retrieve more Shards in the future."

"T-thank you, sir." He shakes hands with Lowe. Aisha claps loudly as they shake hands, the tables around us soon join in with her.

"Let us celebrate our victory for Elder!" Vanessa announces loudly. I plug my ears as the crowd cheers loudly at her remark - it's nice to see so many people happy and excited over an event like this. To be able to see the smile on everyone's face is yet another reason to succeed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_ That crowd was sure loud._ Eun sighs._ Thank you for stepping out of the building._

"No problem." I gently close the restaurant door behind me. A cool evening breeze runs past me as I walk down the ruined sidewalk. For once Elder is silent, with the roads abandoned of its car and the shops stripped of its customers.

"Eun, what exactly happened back then?" I glance at my reflection on the display window of a small shop. "When my home was attacked."

_ What would you like to know?_

"The killer," I growl loudly at the flashback of my Mother's death. "Who put my Mother in such pain? You must've saw."

_ I do not know his name, but he was the commander of the attack. Once I helped us escape from his grasp, I proceeded to slaughter his men._

"My Father, did you see him?"

_ I heard a man shouting your name as I ran to save him. He was injured badly, the man was inches away from death. I wasn't sure who he was at the time but I told him to relax, from now on I shall protect you. He asked to speak to his daughter one last time before he fell limp, his final wish could not be granted, I apologize._

"It's fine," I kick the half eaten apple onto the road. "Did you see my brother?"

_ I do not recall someone addressing you as their sister._

There's still a chance Aren is alive, I wonder if he ever came back home. If he did I wonder how he felt, did he bury everyone; did he notice my body cannot be found in the remains of our village? Perhaps he knows I survived and is looking for me this very instant.

_ If we continue to fight I am sure we will be able to find your brother - if he is still alive._ Eun attempts to comfort me.

"Yeah."

_ Stay patient, in time we will—_ Shivers run down my spine at Eun's sudden pause.

"E-Eun? What's wrong?" I swallow, my eyes darting around the abandoned building surrounding us.

_ Nothing,_ the sound of Eun's voice instantly relaxes me tensed body. _I thought I sensed someone. Let's go back, I do not like it here._

Glancing around one last time at the ruined streets of Elder I begin my way back. Although there is no one walking the streets I can't help but feel unsafe, as if someone or something is stalking me in the shadows.


	16. 16

_"I love this!" Aren exclaims as he takes another big bite out of the meat. "Another reason to like the New Year, there's always yummy food!"_

_ "But they always have loud music!" I whine, covering my ears from the pounding drums. _

_ "You love the lion dance though," Aren points out with his mouth full. "Quit complaining, monkey! In the end you love the noise as much as I do."_

_ "Are you kids having fun?" Mother sits down beside me. _

_ "I want more food!" Aren smiles widely. _

_ "I want those drums to quiet down!" I pout. "Mommy, I don't like the noise."_

_ "Oh, Ara." She pinches my cheek. "It's tradition, you'll understand when you're older. In the mean time how about we sit by the lake?"_

_ Aren and I exchange excited glances," is it time?!" We ask in unison. Mother smiles warmly at our reaction._

_ "Yes, it's time for the annual New Year story" She began getting up. "Come on, lets—"_

"We can't just have you leaving like that!" Elsword's sudden shouting jolts me awake. Wiping the fresh tears off my eyes I help myself up. "Are you stupid, do you even know what time it is?!"

"I don't care!" Aisha replies with an equally loud voice. "I have something important to take care of, now stand out of my way and let me catch that plane!"

"Can you guys shut it?!" Raven pipes in loudly. "Some of us are trying to sleep."

"Not until she stays."

"Not until he gets out of my way!"

_Do humans usually wake up to cause noise? _Eun asks with annoyance. _I never knew your kind was so ill-mannered. _

"Not unless they're really upset," I reply while opening my bedroom door. Eun growls loudly as the shouting continues. I make my way downstairs to see

Aisha with a large purple suitcase and Elsword blocking her exit - Raven sat on the bottom step while watching the two rage on.

"Elsword, if you don't move I'll force my way out!" Aisha summons out her staff. "I'm giving you ten seconds to move!" She points her weapon towards Elsword.

"I'll take the hit!" Elsword stands firm in front of the door. "Attack me all you like but I won't let you step out this door!"

"What's going on?" I sit myself down beside Raven.

"Apparently Aisha is planning on leaving," Raven lets out a big yawn. "Elsword here won't let her leave."

"You're leaving?" I ask Aisha. "Why are you leaving all of a sudden? Are you coming back afterwards?"

Aisha lowers her head," I-I just need to go somewhere." A bright magic circle forms beneath her." You better move unless you want to be burned to a crisp, Elsword!"

Elsword takes a quick step forward as Aisha was about to launch an attack, he quickly grabs hold of Aisha's staff - I can see him wince upon contact with weapon.

"What are you doing?!" Aisha pulls her staff away from his grip. In an instant the magic circle disappears, her staff dissolving into glowing particles of light.

"Are you insane!?" She takes hold of his hand," idiot, you burned your hand."

I perk my head up to see his injury. I couldn't help but frown at his tomato red hand, few blisters can be seen forming on his palm. Raven simply shakes his head at Elsword's decision.

"Yes I'm an idiot." Elsword acknowledged shakily - he slowly slides his hand from Aisha's grip. "But as the leader of this party I won't let any of my team mates wander out alone - never again will I allow that."

Aisha's eyes widen at his statement, her bottom lip begins to tremble," Elsword..." She hurriedly wipes her eyes. "I'm sorry." At the corner of my eye I can see Raven stiffening up, I wonder what has gotten into everybody.

"What's going on?" I glance back to see Chung lazily walking down the stairs, Eve followed shortly after.

"I-I was trying to leave," Aisha began with looking back. "Elsword caught me in time and stopped me from going."

Hurt flashes through Chung's eyes, looking down he replied," travelling in the dark is stupid, Aisha. I thought you knew better."

"I know, I'm sorry for waking everyone."

"You should've also known better than to leave by yourself." Raven adds on quietly. Aisha simply responds with a small nod.

Eve clears her voice loudly," seeing how we are all up, how about we start the day early? I'll make us some coffee and Elsword can help with breakfast." She suggests. "We may discuss of this matter further after we have all eaten."

"Thanks, Eve." Elsword smiles warmly at the Nasod.

I sat in silence as everyone began shuffling around, some returned to their room to get dressed for the day while others went to the living room to play the usual video game. No one addressed the event that just took place, they continued on like nothing ever happened.

I wonder why everyone is so worked up over Aisha's leaving. Sure this event came as a surprise but I don't see the need to be so worked up over it. Perhaps the bond between this group is just very strong - a sudden leaving will upset the rest.

_We are new here, so we should not think nor poke so deeply into this kind of matter. _

'I think you're right, Eun.' I let out a sigh. 'I'm just so curious of what's going on.'

"Ara," Eve's voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Y-yeah?" I try to keep a calm look.

"Can you assist Elsword with the cooking? He is having trouble breaking the eggs," Eve shakes her head. "He has wasted three eggs already."

I let out a giggle," sure, wouldn't want him to waste all of our food, now do we?"

Lowe dropped by as we finished the last of our meal, he said there was something important to discuss and asked us to meet him by the river after we're done. Eun insisted this to be another El Shard discovery but I think other wise.

We bolted out the door once everyone was finished eating - no one bothered to clean up afterwards. So here we are now, sitting on the damp grass by the river bed as we wait for Lowe to speak up - he has been staring blankly into the forest since our arrival.

"I have received some disturbing news," Lowe finally began. "Yesterday an old friend of mines sent me an email, she told me her citizens has been under the influence of what appears to be Dark Magic."

"What?!" Aisha suddenly exclaims. "Do they know who is behind the Dark Magic?!"

"No, they have tried to patrol the surrounding areas for suspects but have come back empty handed. There were cases where members of the patrol parties turned against their own team mates, no one knew how to break them free from the magic's grasp and were forced to kill their own allies."

"Do you suspect an El Shard is behind the attacks?" Chung asks shortly after. "Does your friend know of the El Shards."

"Yes, he does, but i do not believe an El Shard is behind this event." Lowe glances back at us. "This time we may be dealing with a criminal."

_Such a waste of time, _Eun grunts. _We should be dealing with the other Shards and not a low-life criminal._

'It's still serious, Eun. We still need to help.' I reply. 'Besides maybe the villagers have some crazy urban legend or song that can help us with our search.'

"I understand we are searching for the El Shards, but we must take on missions and requests from those in need." I notice how Lowe kept his eyes on me. "We may resume the search for the El Shards next time."

"So where will we be sent to this time?" Elsword cracks his knuckle loudly. "I'm all pumped up to beat up a criminal now!"

"Your team will be sent to a village not too far away from here." Lowe continued. "Due to the village's rough roads your team will have to walk there. You must travel North East from Elder, the walk will take at least one day. Today you will prepare, I expect you all to be gone by sunrise."

"This village," Raven spoke up. "What is it called?"

"Bethma, your next destination will be Bethma."

"Hey, Yang." I whisper while gently closing the back door. I smile widely as Yang sleepily makes its way on the deck. "Let's go star gazing tonight."

Everyone has decided to sleep early tonight, they plan on leaving as early as five tomorrow morning. The thought of getting extra sleep shaken me, so I decided to sneak out for some fresh air while everyone's still knocked out.

I lay myself down on Yang, my eyes landing upon the billions of light scattered along the night sky - I instantly relax upon the view.

"I used to star gaze with my brother." I began narrating to my Phoru. "We'd spend all night making our own constellations and giving them each a story." My eyes grow misty. "Aren, I'm sure you would've loved Ruben."

"Who's Aren?" I spring up at the new voice piping in. I nearly forgot about Elsword and Aisha's argument this morning. Perhaps sneaking out wasn't a good idea.

"Aisha," I swallow. "What are you doing here?"

"Relax," she closes the door behind her. "I'm not here to get you busted." She looks up at the sky. "I just wanted some fresh air."

"Come," I gesture Aisha to sit by me. "Let's go star gazing together."

Nodding she makes her way over, I scoot over so she has room to lay on. She helps herself down, I can see her eyes twinkle brightly at the stars above," aren't they pretty?" I avert my attention back on the sky. "They're like little diamonds."

"They're so free." She whispers. "How could something be so pretty and free of worries, pain, and hate?"

"Hate eh?" I can picture a light bulb flicker on in my head. "That reminds me of an old story, my Mother used to tell me this every New year."

"Oh? Can I hear?"

Clearing my throat I began," long ago the Jade Emperor ordered that animals were to be calender signs, twelve were to be selected in total - the animals were to gather and attend a race. At that time the cat and rat were good friends. The cat suggested on getting up early so they can sign up, but that would be a problem because the cat usually woke up late."

"Sounds like Elsword." Aisha snickers.

I continued," the rat promised to wake up the cat so they can go together. However on that morning the rat was too excited and forgot about the promise - he left without the cat. During the race he encountered many animals, such as the ox, rabbit, tiger, and many others. He knew he could not be fast enough and asked the ox to ride on his head. The ox was kind and allowed the rat to ride with it. The ox was the lead animal in the race, and just as it was about to finish the race, the rat leaped off its head and beat the ox.

The rat had proved its cunning to the Emperor and was given the first year. Now this is the reason why cats hate rats, and why every time they meet the cat will chase and kill it." I conclude with a sigh. "There are many versions of that legend, but my Mother always told me that one."

"So the rat betrayed his friend and now they're forever enemies." Aisha thought aloud. "Ara, do you think the rat feels bad for betraying the cat? Does it feel proud of its actions or has it moved on?"

I'll admit, I was taken aback by her question. Never have I questioned the relationships and feelings that the animals held afterwards," I don't know." I reply with a shrug. "The story never said the rat hated the cat - well the version I was told."

"I see."

"However I do think the rat feels sorry," I add on. "In the end it was all a misunderstanding, the rat simply forgot. The relationship between them may not be there anymore but they'll always have the memories of the good days. I'm sure in the end both parties miss the past and they're both equally hurt."

"That makes sense," at the corner of my eyes I can see Aisha close her eyes. For once today she appears to be at peace. "Maybe they can have that relationship again."

"Yeah." I focus my attention back on the stars.

"All this cat wants is to be with her rat again." Aisha whispers softly to herself. "This kitty is sick of the fights. Why can't we be happy like back then, little rat?"


	17. 17

Aisha and I fell asleep outside, how we didn't catch a cold the next morning is beyond me. We woke up a few minutes before sunrise and decided to prepare for the day. After our usual morning routines we decided to put together some breakfast. Seeing how we'll be leaving right after the other's are up, Aisha decided to prepare some sandwiches, I on the other hand loaded up Yang's saddle with medical supplies, some water bottles, and snacks - I even filled a small bag with some extra clothing.

Everyone was up by the time I finished packing. As planned we headed out the moment everyone was up. The walk through Elder was filled with tension, the citizens of Elder were not too pleased with my ride - I just hope Yang can't understand their rude remarks. I felt relief the moment we stepped into the wilderness, with nothing but trees and animals to come our way.

Fatigue quickly grew on us around noon, Aisha began flying on her staff while the others took turn riding Yang with me. To top it all off, we have just reached a rocky plain, with the hot afternoon sun scorching our heads, dust rising from our footsteps, and the lack of wind to cool us off. The familiar desert climate brings a smile to my face, but due to the fact I've been living away from the desert for so long I am no longer used to its heat and environment.

"I feel like my head is on fire." Elsword wipes his drenched forehead with his arm. "I think we're running out of water."

"I feel like our water is evaporating." Raven takes a large sip from his water bottle. "At this rate we'll die from dehydration."

"If we can only make it to those mountains." I point towards the tall rocky figures forming along the horizon. "I bet there's lot's shade there."

"How are you still standing?!" Aisha gestures to Chung. "I feel sick just by looking at all that armor."

"I'll be fine." He replies. "Just a bit hot, that's it."

"A bit? Your face is beet red and your entire body must be drenched in sweat!" Eve adds on. "Heat is bad for Nasods, never the less a human."

_He also stinks of sweat. _

'Sadly that's true, Eun.' Just one of the downsides to having heightened senses.

"What if this Phoru faints on us?" Raven's comment nearly makes everyone cringe. "Then we'll have heavy luggage and the scorching heat."

"Don't jinx it!" Elsword punches his arm.

"I think its fine." I pet Yang. "It uses fire to attack so I'm assuming this heat will only give it more strength."

"I wish we could use the El Shard for some wind," Elsword readjusts his backpack. "I'm so tempted to get that thing out of my bag and use it."

"Our job is to protect it, not to use it for our own benefit." Eve grumbles. "Stupid human, if it wasn't scorching hot I would've slapped you."

"Why does everyone hate me?!"

"Because your face annoys us." Chung pipes in. At the corner of my eyes I can see Elsword's face turning into a deeper shade of red, he'll probably pass out first.

_For such strong warriors they sure are immature. _

I mentally roll my eyes,' I know, Eun. I'm still surprised we managed to save Elder together.' Lowe must feel embarrassed to be seen in public with them. Typically when people think of a Red Knight party they think of mature and responsible members - I know I did. I truly feel sorry for our captain.

"Help!"

I perk my head up at the faint cry while everyone around continued on with the pointless arguing," guys." I pull Yang to a halt. "Do you hear that?"

"Great now she's hallucinating." Chung rolls his eyes. "Drink something, you're probably just dehydrated."

"Shh!" I snap. "Stay quiet and listen."

The group exchanges glances before falling silent. My eyes narrow towards the horizon as another desperate cry for help echoes ahead. Yang's ear twitch at the cry for help, this action alone reassures my grasp on reality - at least I know I'm not just hearing things.

"It's probably faint for you guys," I add on hesitantly. "But I reassure you that there's someone calling ahead."

"What do you think?" Aisha gestures to Elsword.

"All of a sudden you guys want my opinion," he grumbles angrily under his breath. "Well I think we should go see what's up, after all there could be someone out there who really needs our help."

"I'll go ahead!" In an instant Yang goes sprinting off. I gingerly position myself to jump off, my grip tightening around my spear as the cries gradually grow louder.

_Lizards, I smell lizards. _

"How many humans are there?" I ask aloud.

_No humans, just lizards. _Shivers run down my spine at Eun's words. _Proceed with caution, this may be a trap. _

I nod as five blurred figures begin emerging ahead. For all we know I could be running straight into a pack of demons, perhaps they need some food and need to trick fellow travelers like us into _helping _them.

"H-help! Somebody!" I can now easily make out the child-like tone ringing from the voice.

My jaw nearly drops as the figures come into focus. In front was a lizard-like creature with a yellow belly, its body was covered with green and navy blue scales; a broken spear is gripped in both his small hands. Behind him were four blue lizards, each had a large club in their hand. One hit from that club could easily crack someone's head open.

Leaping off of Yang I glide towards the lizards, the little green lizard's eyes spark with fear at my appearance," duck little green guy!" I prepare my spear for an attack. The little lizard quickly glances back before ducking down,

"Moonlight Slash!"

I inflict damage on the blue lizards around it, my attack barely missing the small lizard," little guy." I kneel down beside the frightened lizard. "Are you hurt?"

The lizard gingerly looks up at me," y-you saved me." I notice a small smile forming on its lips. "Thanks traveler, I thought I was dead."

My head perks up as the four other lizards begin to help themselves up," they're not down yet." I hurriedly pick up the little guy in my arms. "We need to get out of here!" I begin gliding back to the others, we'll need everyone in order to safely take these guys down.

"Look out! One threw a club towards us!" The lizard screams loudly in my ear.

Glancing back I notice the large weapon launching towards me, my heart beat quickens in realization of the danger we are in. Pulling the lizard close to me I prepare myself to take the hit for it.

"Grenade Launcher!" A blue orb zooms past us and hits the incoming club. I am knocked to the ground as the grenade explodes from behind - bright blue particles are left behind afterwards.

"Ara!" I can hear my friends calling out to me. At the corner of my eyes I can see Yang gingerly walking towards me, it growls loudly at the small lizard in my arms.

"Attack the blue ones!" I gesture to the lizards running towards us, with their clubs held high above their head. "The green one is good!" I add on while getting back up.

"Got it!" Aisha exclaims while hopping on her staff. Everyone runs past me to battle, I smile warmly at Yang as I approach it with the small lizard.

"This is a good guy," I began slowly. "Protect it and do not eat it."

Yang studies the shaking creature carefully. I pat the lizard's back as he wraps his small arms around me. After what felt like hours have went by Yang finally gave in. The Phoru lowers itself, waiting for me to place the lizard on its back.

"Thanks, Yang." I gently place the lizard on the saddle. "Yang is my trusted Phoru, it'll protect you if one of those guys slip past us. Just hold on tightly, the last thing we need is you to fall off."

"T-they're not bad." The small lizard began shakily. "T-they also got affected by the Dark Magic." Tears build up in the lizard's eyes. "T-they were always so nice to everyone, so why do they have to die?!"

I can't help but remember the day of my family's death. This kid - if you can even consider it a kid - appears to have seen a lot. Perhaps he understands the pain of witnessing the death of everyone you cared about, the hurt you feel when you dream of the good times. If so I feel sorry for him, no one should be able to go through that especially not a kid.

"I'm sorry," I simply say to the tearful lizard. "I'll try to free them of the curse, but if I can't . . ." I place my hand on its shoulder. "I promise to make it quick, they won't suffer."

"O-okay." The lizard wipes his eyes. "Thanks a-again for the help. M-may I see my friends afterwards?"

I frown at his request," are you sure? It might not be pretty." The thought of making this kid see his dead friends is cruel.

"I-I want to say goodbye to them. I don't always get an opportunity to bid the dead goodbye."

I give the kid a pat on the head shortly after," you're brave, kid." I send him a warm smile. "You're much braver than me." With that I take off to join the fight.

"Piercing Sword!" Elsword throws a small version of his sword at the lizard's leg, I wince at the deep injury on the lizard's leg.

"I can sense it," Aisha blurts out. "There is defiantly traces of Dark Magic on these lizards."

"Is there a way to break them free?" I ask almost instantly.

The mage shakes her head," we need to find the source of the magic and destroy it." She surrounds herself in a powerful purple aura. "But we don't have time to track it down, we need to defeat these guys now!"

"That poor kid," I mumble softly to myself. He'll need to see the corpses of his friends, who knows how this will affect him in the future?

"Heads up!" Chung breaks my chain of thoughts. I gasp at the large blue lizard charging towards me, my body freezing up at the sudden attack," Brutal Swing!" Chung charges in front of me and tackles the lizard - he swings his cannon, causing the lizard to be blown away from me.

"Thanks," I snort. It would've been nice if someone else came to save me, now he'll probably want something from me in return.

"What are you doing?!" He snaps angrily at me - his tomato red face glaring icily at me. "Standing around isn't going to help!"

"I know that!" I growl. "I'm just sad that the small lizard guy will have to see the dead bodies of his friends." I don't even know why I'm telling him this, he'll probably laugh and yell at me for being distracted.

"Me too," I nearly jump at Chung's confession. Is he seriously agreeing with me; what has this world come to?! "If we keep these guys alive they'll only suffer, after all they are only going to harm the ones they care about in this state." His cold blue eyes soften. " I'm sure that lizard guy will understand."

"I-I guess." I'm still shocked at what Chung has just said.

"Are you going to fight or are you going to stand there and take up space?"

I snort while positioning myself to fight," like I'll stand and watch you guys have all the fun? In your dreams!" I smirk at the familiar lizard charging at us.

"You just don't give up." I leap high into the air," Falling Dragon!" I hurtle myself down on the lizard's head with my spear piercing deeply into its skull, the lizard goes limp almost instantly.

"This heat is messing with me circuits!" I hear Eve exclaim. Glancing back I notice her drones supporting the weak Nasod Queen, a blue lizard uses this opportunity to sprint for her.

"Eve!" I hurry towards her.

"Oberon!" In an instant Eve is swept away by what appears to be her Nasod assistant. The Nasod dashes by the lizard, inflicting damage with the Queen safely in his arm.

Chung charges himself at the lizard once Eve was out of the way, I come to a quick halt as Chung tackles the lizard down.

_There is something wrong. _Eun warns.

"What!?" I glance around the battle field. Everyone is working together to deal with the remaining three lizards - Raven is nearly finished with his.

_The armored kid. _I avert my eyes back on Chung. _Notice how his movements are slow, and note how he struggles to carry his weapon._

"Cannon Strike!" Chung shakily slams his cannon to the ground. I couldn't help but worry as he struggles to pick his weapon back up, his opponent swings his club at Chung causing him to knocked back. Something inside of me snaps as he stops struggling after the impact.

"You idiot!" I growl angrily while sprinting towards his opponent. I can feel Eun providing me power as we approach the lizard. "Tiger Claw!" I execute two spins with my spear on the lizard - my enemy is blown back by my attack.

"Allow me to finish it off!" At the corner of my eyes I can see Eve gliding towards us, I double back to give her some room. "Surface Cutting!" She summons out her assistant, the Nasod finishes the lizard off with three brutal slashes.

"I hope you didn't suffer." I whisper to the limp lizard before rushing to Chung's side. Panic quickly falls upon me at Chung's weak state - at least he's still breathing. I hesitantly place my hand on his sweaty forehead," you're burning."

"Is the human alright?" Eve joins in. Her drones helping her to keep balance.

"I think he has heat stroke." I run the back of my hand down his heated cheek. "This is serious, he could die from this."

"Perhaps we have a potion is help him heal."

"What is we don't? What if we have to make that potion ourselves?" I run my hand through my hair. "We need shade and water immediately."

"I shall inform the others immediately." Eve takes off to spread the news.

I, on the other hand, stay by Chung. I stress my brain out, trying to think of a plan to help him," what can I do?" I wonder out loud. "Maybe if we're quick we can reach those mountains, I'll need Yang for that. I-I guess if we're desperate enough we can use the El Shard for wind."

"You're really stupid." Chung says in a light whisper.

"Chung!" I blurt out. "You're alive!" I still can't believe I'm getting all worried over this jerk.

"I guess." He let's out a small cough. "I feel like someone set me on fire."

"Heat stroke does that to you." I glance back to the others. Relief hits me as Elsword and Eve finish off the last lizard. At least everyone will be around to comfort him.

"Who knew I'd die from heat?" Chung grumbles. "Pathetic isn't it, demon freak?"

"As if I'd just let you die like this." I snap back at him. "I'll figure something out so you better not die on me, weakling!" At that moment Elsword and the others surround us, each one wearing the same worried expression.

"Chung," Raven began shakily - I could hear a pinch of anger in his voice. "Are you seriously doing this to us?"

"I'll be fine after this," Chung closes his eyes. "Do me a favor and collect all the El Shards. That's all I ask of you guys."

Elsword curses loudly," how could you give up so easily?" I can see him biting back the tears.

"It can't be helped." He smiles weakly. "You were a good leader, buddy."

The group grows silent at his words. A familiar feeling begins to engulf me - a feeling I'm far too familiar with. It is the feeling which you get when you have lost someone or something precious, just knowing you may never see them again crushes your heart, spirit, and mind. All you want to do cry and get angry at the world for taking them away from you. Your anger and sadness takes over, all you want to do is hurt those who have it better than you.

Chung's not precious to me, don't get me wrong, but the thought of him dying still affects me. He was still someone I worked along with, and it would hurt me greatly to see a team mate die. Just like back then I could not do anything to help.

_Ara. _Eun surrounds me with a warm aura. _He still has time. _

'If you're telling me to quickly end his life then no.' My vision begins to blur. 'I can't do that.'

_The small lizard. He appears to be a resident in this land, perhaps he would know a place for Chung to be treated. _

"Eun," I blurt out. "That's a genius plan!"

I spring up to my feet and glide my way back to Yang - everyone gave me funny looks as I suddenly took off. I mentally thanked Eun as it gave me strength to go faster, I can already hear time ticking away with each step I take.

"Lizard guy!" I scream once Yang came into view. As if my Phoru could read my mind it began running towards me, the small lizard nearly fell off as a result.

"D-did you free them?" The small lizard asks the moment we were reunited.

I instantly feel guilt creeping up on me at his question," n-no." I look down. "W-we had to put them to sleep. S-sorry." I bow down respectfully to the lizard.

"Ohh." I can already picture the lizard's eyes fill with hurt and sadness.

"May you do us a favor?" I force myself to look up and make eye contact.

"Our friend has heat stroke and we need some place cool for him to heal. Can you show us a place which provides a lot of shade? I-I know we failed you but—"

"It's fine!" The small lizard quickly cuts me off. "You put my friends out of their pain, it's the least I can do for you." The lizard reassures me with a smile. "I will bring you to my village, there is an alchemist that can help you out."

I relax at his words," thanks." Chung you better hold on, you aren't allowed to die until we get to that village.


	18. 18

The small lizard - who we found out was named Lucas - guided us on the quickest path back to his village - which also happens to be Bethma. Neither of us complained about the fatigue and heat along the way, everyone has braced themselves for Chung to give up. I certainly didn't brace myself for the worse, I know Chung is stubborn, a parasite like him won't die that easily.

We arrived to the village with barely any time left, Chung had begun struggling for air. Lucas quickly guided us past the confused villagers and into the alchemist's home. We were told to wait outside as he treated our over-heated friend. Lucas offered us water and a tour around the village while we waited.

Bethma village is unique. This small village is home to a special tribe, the Lizardmen tribe. These lizards live along side with a small number of humans, both species work together to survive out here in the desert climate. Aside from the unique residents Bethma is just another ordinary village, with hunters and warriors to slay nearby demons.

"How are you enjoying Bethma?" Lucas asks as we sit ourselves back down on the alchemist's front steps. Yang curls itself up by the bottom step. "Well aside from the heat that is."

"It's very peaceful, and I'm quite surprised at the unity of humans and lizardmen." Aisha began with a smile. "I bet half the people in Elder would freak if they were here."

"It's nice to see such a strong alliance between two," Raven ponders at his next choice of words. "Species." He drags out the final word.

"We haven't seen something like this for a long time now." Eve adds on — which is true, usually the clash between two different species, as Raven would call it, often results in war.

"Well I'm more surprised by your Ancient Phoru." Lucas points out — his eyes lighten up on the sleeping Phoru. "We may live with humans but we never would've thought humans would live with demons peacefully."

_Little do they know . . ._

"Ara here has actually made a contract with a demon." Elsword announces proudly, I nearly face palm at his remark. "She and this demon Eun works along side with us! We make quite a—"

Aisha interrupts Elsword by slamming her staff down on his head," you can't just reveal information like that!" She scolds. She carefully studies the nearby villagers, they don't appear to have heard his statement. "That could cause some real problems for us and we can freak the client out!" She adds on in a whisper.

"Useless human." Eve slaps him twice. "The second slap was for your idiotic actions earlier."

Lucas laughs at Elsword's abuse," you guys are funny."

"It's not funny when you're the one being hurt." Elsword mumbles angrily - he only brought this upon himself.

"Don't worry I'm not scared of you!" Lucas exclaims. "I'm more fascinated than scared! You guys have such a unique team, I wish I was old enough to join everyone!"

"Maybe one day, kid." Raven lightly punches him on the shoulder.

"Lucas!" We turn our head towards a stern looking woman coming our way, she has her arms crossed, and hair tied back to a ponytail. You can see the fatigue through her bagged golden eyes. "Lucas, who are these people?" Her eyes narrow at each of us.

"Stella," Lucas sheepishly began. "T-these people saved my life. I-I needed to bring them back because their friend needed medical care."

"I do not trust these people." She glances between Eve, Raven, and Yang. "Two Nasods and a demon, are you trying to get us all killed?" Thank goodness she didn't hear the part where I'm possessed by a demon.

"I'm not a Nasod." Raven tightens his fists. "Having a Nasod arm doesn't make me a Nasod."

"Calm down," Aisha nudges his arm. "We need to make a good first impression."

"I want these people out and that demon slayed!" Stella snaps, ignoring Raven's previous statement.

"You will not lay a hand on Yang!" I growl. Yang's ears twitch at the sudden outbursts. "Can you just hear us out? We're not here to harm your village!"

"S-sorry about Stella." I can hear Lucas say to Elsword. "With the recent events happening in Bethma she's been stressed."

"If you will not leave I shall wait for the Red Knights to take care of you!"

I open my mouth to protest but Elsword interrupts," excuse me, Stella." He began calmly. "We are sorry about surprising you with our team, but we are the Red Knight party sent from Elder."

Stella simply stares at Elsword, none of us uttered a single word as she studied our leader carefully. Aisha let out a squeal as Stella suddenly bursts out laughing," you think I'm that stupid?" Her stern expression returns. "I had enough of this, get out before I force you out!"

"But we just told you—"

"You can't trick me that easily!" She cracks her knuckles. "I'll spare the Phoru, but you must get out before I change my mind!"

"Stella, Please they're good!" Lucas began. "If they weren't there i would've—"

"Stay out of this!" She cuts him off. "You'll thank me later."

The wooden door behind us creeks open, glancing back I notice the elderly Lizardman stepping out his house. Unlike the other villagers he has on a green robe, and a cheif feather hat. Stella instantly quiets down as the alchemist closes the door behind him," is this any way of treating my guests?" He gestures to our team.

Stella clears her throat," Chacha Buch, these are impostors. How can you believe a team with two Nasods and a demon belong to the Red Knights?"

"I believe Lowe has told us about a unique party coming to aid us." Everyone steps aside as the alchemist made his way down the wooden steps. "He also mentioned this is his best Red Knight party." Wow, and here I thought we were his worst team.

"But-"

"No more arguments." The alchemist turns to face us. "Young heroes, it is an honor to have you in our village, and thank you so very much for saving little Lucas." He smiles warmly. "You may call me Buch for short. Now I believe you've all have had a rough day, come inside for some tea and rest."

He turns to face Lucas," boy, bring this Phoru to the stalls and make sure it has food and water. We can discuss about Bethma's issues afterwards."

"I hope you're right, Buch." Stella murmured. "For all we know they could be lying."

"Stella, you should have more faith in the elderly." Buch lectured. "After all we have been in this world for a very long time. We have seen and learned many things during our time here."

Buch was far more welcoming than Stella ever was. His house was not the biggest but he provided each of us with a new set of clothes and a place to rest our heads - even though that meant some of us had to sleep on the couch.

Everyone changed into the clothes Buch provided, the guys got a blue silk robe while us girls were given a crimson red robe, each of us were given a pair of sandals with our outfit. Strangely enough the designs of the robes reminded me of Sander, if I didn't know any better I would've thought these came straight from my village.

We gathered around Buch's small wooden table for some tea and snacks. Everyone took this opportunity to joke around and unwind. After a busy day like today we all need to take a break. Buch was kind enough to serve us more food as we goofed off, this helped us regain our energy and motivation to fight.

"Did you kids enjoy the food?" Buch questions while taking our empty plates.

"That was a delicious meal, thank you very much for having us over." I give the alchemist a polite bow.

"Do you want us to help with the dishes?" Aisha offers. "It's the least we can do for you."

"It's fine, young mage." Buch stacks up the dirty dishes. "This old man needs to move around and do something." He laughs at his own statement.

"So how is our friend doing?" Raven asks the questions we've all dreaded. The table grows quiet as we wait for Buch's answer.

"Your friend was literally at death's door." Buch began while taking the dishes to his sink. "I managed to cool him down but he'll need to rest for a few days. When he wakes up you guys will need to look after him, and make sure he doesn't go into battle."

"At least he's okay now." Elsword lets out a sigh of relief. "So, Buch, can you tell us more about the events happening in Bethma? We know that your men has been under the influence of Dark Magic, but what else is there?"

"Recently there has been thievery," Buch answered while cleaning the dishes. "Maps, books, and potions have been stolen. I suspect this thief is a mage of some kind, they appear to be very interested in spells and magic."

"A mage which uses Dark Magic." Eve thought out loud. "Did Bethma ever have mages? Perhaps they practiced Dark Magic back then and one has returned to take back what is left."

"No, our village has always been strict on the use of magic. I'm sure we had a few mages but they were simply alchemists." Buch went on. "The only time where magic has been recorded in our history is during the Sealing of the Dragon."

"Sealing of the Dragon?" Elsword repeated. "Can you tell us more about this dragon?"

"It is an old legend," Bach turns off the tap before explaining. "Long ago our village was constantly attacked by a fierce dragon, this creature was known as the demon of fire for its body will not burn even when soaked in lava. Our ancestors grew tired of its attacks and gathered together to think of a plan. They were not masters of magic so they sent out their men to seek out three powerful wizards.

It took many years for those three wizards to be gathered but when they were a fierce battle raged between them and the dragon. The battle lasted for three days and three nights; although the wizards were tired from the fight the dragon was still bursting with energy. These wizards knew it was impossible to kill the dragon which left them with only one option - they must sacrifice their own lives to seal away the beast and its power.

In the end the dragon was sealed deep within a volcanic cave, the only thing that was left was its source of power. Our ancestors took the dragon's power and gave it to the village's alchemist. They say he used alchemy to create a seal on the dragon's power, so that no one may use it to revive the beast." Buch concluded.

_A power which was sealed away by an alchemist to prevent a beast from rising again. It sounds very much like an El Shard._

'But would someone be powerful enough to seal an El Shard?'

_I do not know, but if that is possible they must've taken their own life in the process. Sealing an El Shard would take a tremendous amount of energy, I'm positive this alchemist would've needed his own life energy to help seal away the Shard._

"Did they alchemist die after the sealing?" I hesitantly ask, I earned some strange looks from the others as a result.

"The legend does not say; why do you ask?"

"No reason." I shrug. Maybe the El Shard has nothing to do with Bethma in general.

_How disappointing. _

"Did you guys have a mage pass by recently?" Aisha questions shakily. "Maybe this mage has something to do with the Dark Magic." Her abrupt question catches my attention.

"A mage eh?" Buch rubs his chin. "There was one, but I do not believe he is the one behind all of this. The way he uses magic is very organized, the four elements are used is a very well-mannered way."

"Where is this mage?!" Aisha blurts out almost instantly. "Where did he go? Did he tell you his name? What did you look like?"

"And you call me rude, here you are bombarding Buch with useless questions!" Elsword punches her on the arm.

"Please tell me!" Aisha ignores Elsword completely - that's a first.

"The mage didn't state his name but after hearing about our troubles he decided to help. He was a strange fellow but very wise. After hearing the story I told you about earlier he rushed off to the mountains somewhere, he was never heard of after that."

"I-I see." Aisha quiets down. I can't help but notice the distress in her voice; why is she so concerned about this mage? Does she know something about that event? Perhaps she knows the mage behind it all.

A soft knock on the door catches our attention," come in!" Buch calls out loudly. In an instant Stella comes storming in, she seems more agitated than the first time we saw her.

"More of our men has fallen into the spell! We just took care of them but w don't know if more will fall under the spell!" Stella began in an irritated tone. "I hate to say it but I need these brats to help me find the culprit for this!"

Buch nods," kids, are you guys ready for a fight? I know it's getting late but Stella could use some help."

"Normally I wouldn't help people who are rude to us, after all it's very disrespectful." Elsword yawns loudly.

Stells grinds her teeth at his comment," why you little—"

"But it must be hard to see your men fall into such a terrible trance" Elsword quickly adds on before Stella could snap at him. "Come on guys, we have some work to do!"

Like usual we divided ourseleves into groups, seeing how Chung isn't here to help I went with Elsword and Aisha. Raven and Eve patrolled the North side of the village while we patrolled the South; Stella and her remaining men will take care of the rest.

So far we have run into three citizens who have fallen under the spell, each time it gets harder and harder to kill. These citizens are innocent, they have done nothing wrong and yet we must kill them because we cannot find the one behind the spells.

"I wish we had a way to break them free." Elsword thought out loud — I shared similar thoughts." Maybe the person behind all of this is closer than we think, I mean that alchemist guy knows a bunch about magic so maybe it's him all along." Elsword ponders.

"I don't think you should be saying that out loud, after all I'm sure many people here respect him." I suggest while keeping my eye out. "But you do have a good point."

"Why are you so quiet tonight?" Elsword roughly pushes Aisha. "Normally you'd yell and wake everyone up."

"I'm not in a mood to deal with you." Aisha quickens her pace. "Leave me alone."

Elsword and I exchange worried glances as Aisha walks ahead of us, her petite silhouette quickly disappearing into the darkness ahead.

Ever since she heard about that mage Aisha has been acting strange. Unlike usual she seems more calm and lost in thought. Perhaps I'm right, maybe she knows exactly who's behind it all.

Shivers run down my spine at the sudden change in atmosphere, like that sudden feeling of being watched as you walk home alone at night - you can't help but look back and pick up your walking pace. I come to a quick halt, my eyes darting around the silent streets of Bethma. Something is wrong, I can sense something else is with us.

"Ara?" Elsword waves his hand in front of my eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Shh!" I quickly cover his mouth.

_I sense an evil aura near us. _

Growling I gingerly walk forward, the hairs on the back of my neck rising with each step I took. I glance around the houses, around rocks - anything that can serve as a hiding place for someone. Elsword might think I've lost my mind but that doesn't matter, I am positive there is something stalking us.

My head snaps to my right at the sound of a soft whispering. Without another thought I dash towards the sound, I can hear Elsword calling for me from behind. His voice catches my prey's attention, before I could react I am blasted down with a chain of fireballs. The fireballs provide me with some light, I catch a glimpse of my prey's purple hair before she could run off.

"What's going on?" I swiftly help myself up on my feet. Even from a distance I can hear the faint foot steps running just ahead.

"Ara!" Elsword rushes to my side. "Are you hurt? Did you just get blasted with fireballs?"

"I-I think so." I swallow. "E-Elsword, I think that was Aisha."


	19. 19

"Aisha?!" Elsword echoes loudly. "T-that can't be Aisha! She would never attack us, nor would she run away from us."

"Elsword, she's been acting weird lately." I nibble the bottom of my lip. "W-what if she's the one behind the Dark Magic?" I add on hesitantly.

"Impossible, Aisha would never practice Dark Magic!" Elsword defends almost instantly. "Besides, the Dark Magic has been lingering here before we even step foot here! How can she get to Bethma and back to us without anyone noticing?"

He does have a point," I-I don't know. This is all so confusing." I rub my fatigue eyes. That girl looked so much like Aisha, not to mention, Aisha is the only one here who uses fireballs to attack.

"Look how about we try to find the one who attacked you?" Elsword suggests. "You seem to do better in the dark than I do so I'll follow behind."

"Alright," I reply before breaking off into a sprint. Eun engulfs me in a strong aura as we take off into the night. With my stronger senses I can hear the stranger panting from ahead as they start to grow tired, I use this opportunity to glide through the air.

"Plasma Cutter!" My blood grows cold at Aisha's familiar voice.

_Stay focused! _

Eun quickly takes over to navigate us safely around the laser beams. Knowing I won't have the heart to hurt my friend Eun stays in control to attack," Tiger Claw!" We proceed to slash our prey.

From up close I notice some obvious differences between our opponent and Aisha. Unlike Aisha she is dressed in a witch-like outfit, with small round glasses, and long braided purple hair. Despite this their differences I still can't shake her voice out of my head, that voice defiantly belongs to Aisha; but this girl can't be Aisha, right?

"A-Aisha?" I ask once Eun gave me control again.

"Natural Magic is so boring." The girl spoke once again in my friend's voice. Her purple eyes darken as a magic circle appears under her," Dark Magic is far more superior!"

The girl slams her staff on the ground causing a massive shock wave, I am knocked down almost instantly. From behind I can hear Elsword falling, I wonder if he heard her spoke as well.

"I under estimated you." She takes a step towards me. "Thinking you and you friend wouldn't notice me was a mistake. I under estimated your powers, especially with those demonic enhancements." She gestures to my fox-like features. "Those red eyes, they are beautiful as blood. How I wish to be born with eyes of a blood-thirsty monster, you are truly lucky."

_This mage insults me!_

"Aisha, is that you?" I look back to see Elsword falling to his knees, he looks absolutely hurt by her betrayal. "T-this can't be."

"The hurt on your face looks very handsome." The girl licks her lips. "I bet the darkness in your heart tastes delicious." The familiar feeling of anger fires in me at her comment.

"You can't be Aisha." Elsword sounds hesitant of his own statement. "Aisha isn't cruel like you; she's a kind-hearted person."

"And here I thought we were friends," the girl pouts — no matter how I look at it she's Aisha. "You can't even recognize me? That's pretty pathetic."

"Aisha, why?" Elsword angrily punches the ground. "I refuse to believe this is you!"

"That's because she isn't me!" Aisha comes running behind her imposture, anger burning in her eyes. "Water—"

"You do understand that if I move your demon friend and that red head will be hit." The girl turns to face Aisha. "I wonder what injuries you would inflict on them, magic fueled by anger is the most dangerous kind."

Aisha curses loudly as she releases her attack, she intentionally misses the imposture; goosebumps rise on my arms as Aisha's attack brushes pass me." Aisha, what's going on?" I ask her shakily. Who is this other girl? She uses Dark Magic so perhaps she is the one behind all of this.

"Yes, Aisha, tell her everything." The girl mocks. "I knew you could never have true friends, you don't even trust them enough to talk about your past. You're pathetic, Aisha, you will forever be that little girl no one cares about."

Elsword curses," I'll kill you—"

"Enough!" Aisha screams. Elsword and I grow silent at her sudden outburst, the imposture simply laughs at her actions. "What are you doing here?" She points her staff towards the girl.

"Take a guess." She challenges. "You're supposed to be smart. Unless you've been lying to the family this entire time. Perhaps you cheated through all the tests in order to get the attention from others."

"I'm sick and tired of your games, Speka." Aisha's narrows her eyes. "Just tell me why you're here."

Speka giggles while playing with her staff," obviously I'm here to look for Grandpa; why else would I waste my time coming to a dump like this?" Aisha's jaw drops at her reason.

"Mother told you didn't she?" Aisha engulfs herself in a purple aura. "Why would she tell you? You're not family."

"Why else would she tell me?" Speka engulfs herself in a similar aura. "A mother never forgets her children, this kind of love is useless in my opinion. Her children can easily use this love to end her life."

"Shut it!" Aisha dashes towards Speka with her staff held high in the air. With a wave of her staff Speka teleports behind her, she hits the back of Aisha's head with her staff.

"Aisha!" Elsword grabs his sword. "Hold on I'm—"

"Don't!" Aisha rubs her injured head. "This is between me and her."

"How heroic of you." Speka claps loudly. "I bet mommy will give you a big chocolate bar. Isn't that what want?"

"Don't call her your mother!" Aisha summons out a chain of fireballs towards her, Speka counters with the same attack. "Speka, you are no longer family!"

"How can you say that, sister?" Speka pretends to look hurt by Aisha's comment. "If I was not family mother wouldn't have informed me about grandpa."

"You betrayed us!" Aisha summons out a cyclone at her. Speka quickly teleports to a nearby roof, she sits casually on the ledge while watching the cyclone rage on.

"Aisha, you and I are the same."

"You and I are nothing alike!" Aisha hops on her staff. "Speka, you are a disgrace to my family!" She flies up towards Speka, the dark mage quickly teleports back on the ground.

"What do you mean we are nothing alike?" Speka smirks. "After all, they say the bond between twins is the strongest in the world. Some believe twins are two halves of one person."

"Speka!" Aisha drops down. She glares icily at her twin sister," Speka, you disgust me."

"Then you must be very disgusted with yourself." Speka giggles. "Look at you, you're bombarding me with attacks while I'm here doing nothing."

Aisha exhales as her purple aura disappears," you're suspicious, Speka." She takes a step towards her sister. "Speka, with the recent events I can't just let you go."

"Ohh you sound so professional!"

"As a member of a Red Knight party I must ask you to come with me for questioning!" Aisha holds her staff out, a magic circle forms beneath her. "Drop your weapon or I'll have to force you to drop it."

Speka grows quiet at her sister's order. Even with Aisha glaring at her sister I can still make out the hurt reflecting off her eyes. It must be hard to see your sister walk down the wrong path, and it must kill her to be the one who takes her sister in. I've never had a twin before, but I imagine Aisha must feel terrible for doing this to Speka, their bond is naturally stronger than normal siblings.

"You were always the bossy type." Speka drops her weapon. "I wonder how mom would feel if she was here. To see her two beloved twins fight, and for one to arrest the other."

"I'm not arresting you." Aisha kicks Speka's staff away. "I'm just taking you in for questioning." She chokes up." I would not be surprised if you were behind all of this, and I wouldn't feel any more disappointed in you."


	20. 20

**How are you guys liking this story so far? Is it better than Thousand Heartbeats? How do you guys feel about having an epic NPC and a mount in the story (I was very hesitant when I added Yang and Speka)? Some feedback is much appreciated!**

**Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far, and thanks for all the support **

To my surprise Speka came with us without struggle, she even remained quiet as we walked back to Buch's place - despite the silence I can still feel the thick tension between the twins. Needless to say, Stella was furious at the sight of a dark mage. Speka was immediately brought back to Stella's place where she will be hand cuffed and questioned the next day.

Everyone avoided Aisha for the remainder of the night, Eve and I agreed to sleep out in the living room while Aisha rested alone in one of the guest rooms. I was afraid of awakening Eve and insisted on sleeping on the floor, the argument on this matter lasted for half an hour before the Nasod Queen grew tired and let this topic go - I'm sure she'll nag at me about this tomorrow.

Today was certainly exhausting but tomorrow may be worse. Aisha will be forced to question her sister, and what will happen if Speka is the mage behind the Bethma events? What kind of emotional pain will be inflicted on Aisha? I thought about these questions while falling asleep.

* * *

Just like any other night I am awakened from the usual nightmare. Luckily for me Eve is a deep sleeper and couldn't hear me panting as I tried to calm myself down.

I gingerly help myself up, right now I could really use some fresh air. Seeing how my sandals could produce extra noise I decide to sneak out in bare feet, at this point I could careless about having dirty feet.

I cringe while opening the squeaky wooden door, holding my breath I carefully slip out the door - praying that Eve hasn't been awaken yet. I instantly relax as I successfully made it outside

Looking up I notice the full moon rested along with the scattered stars. Sitting myself on the wooden steps I admire the night sky in silence, with no thoughts and worries to run through my mind.

"Look, Aren, the moon is so pretty." I blurt out. It has been a long time since I have imagined my brother by my side. As if my hand had a mind of its own it reaches for my Mother's golden necklace," Mother, I wonder where you are right now. How is Father doing?"

A lump forms on the back of my throat; I swallow, desperately trying to hold myself back from crying," I miss you guys so much."

The door behind lets out a small creek, I brace myself for Eve to bombard me with questions," I see young folks still enjoy star gazing." I gasp at Buch's voice, the alchemist takes a seat beside me. "Now a days you youngsters enjoy staying indoors and playing on those glowing devices." I chuckle at his description of my generation.

"Star gazing reminds me of home." I confess, not knowing why I'm so willing to tell the alchemist such information. "These robes actually remind me of my village, they share similar designs to our traditional clothing. Where did you get them?"

"An old friend gave it to me." Buch laughs softly. "She was a tough and grumpy one, but boy did I love her."

"Does she live in Bethma?"

"Nah, she loved ruins and moved out to some small village out in the desert." Buch began shakily. "We planned on meeting up again, and perhaps go exploring in one of those ruins she's talked so much about. Sadly I've never heard from her again, rumor has it that her village was slaughtered by some demon invasion."

What are the chances of it being Sander?

"Buch, have you heard of the El Shard?" I decide to question." It's basically an item which possesses great power; power unlike any other."

Buch rubs his chin slowly," I do not recall of such treasure. Although I'd love to learn more about it."

"I see." I look out to the horizon — I can't help but feel disappointed in Buch's little knowledge of the Shards. "It's pretty early and I don't plan on sleeping anymore. Do you need help with any house work?"

"Your friends are still sleeping, so how about we go collect some water?" Buch helps himself up. "The falls are very refreshing early in the morning."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Wait here while I go get the barrels." Buch turns the door knob - he pauses abruptly. "Child, I am sorry for the loss of your village. I pray that their souls are free from suffering." I tense up at his statement.

"How did you know?" I ask in a soft whisper. "It isn't exactly a well known village."

"Your traditional robe gives it all away." Buch gingerly opens the squeaky door. "Vapor has told me of an energetic little girl residing in Sander. She mentioned that this young girl was the daughter of the Ham family." He scratches his head. "Or was is Haan?" He laughs amusingly to himself. "Vapor had high hopes in that little girl."

My heart warms at his comment. Looking back up at the sky I whisper to myself, "you really weren't that scary, Vapor."

Buch and I talked about many things related to Sander as we went to gather water. We went from talking about the village's past to Vapor's embarrassing stories - who knew she accidentally turned Buch into a frog once? Time passed by quickly and before I knew it we were preparing breakfast for everyone.

Talking with Buch really made me feel at home - the desert climate also played a role. He may not be from my village but he knows lots about it, if Sander was still standing I bet Buch would fit right in.

"Good morning, Ara." Elsword greets loudly; ignoring the fact that Eve is still asleep on the couch. "What are we eating for breakfast?"

I roll my eyes," I'll answer your question if you'll keep your voice down." I gesture to the couch.

Elsword simply shrugs in response," she needs to get up early anyways, so a little noise won't hurt."

Raven's bedroom door swings open in response," Elsword, I can hear you with the door closed." He points out tiredly. "Can you do us all a favor and be quiet?"

"You guys always wake up early, so what difference would it make if I make some extra noise?" Elsword challenges.

"No one on this team wants to wake up to your voice."

Elsword gasps," that hurts." He pretends to feel pain in his chest. "I'll have you know I love waking up to my own voice!"

I avert my attention back on the stove while straining my ears to hear the ongoing conversation.

"You have a bit of an ego problem." Raven replies non-nonchalantly.

"I do—"

"Human, say another word and I'll kick you out of this house!" Eve pipes in angrily. I can already imagine her preparing to slap Elsword.

"Why does everyone side with Raven?"

"Because I'm not annoying."

The house grows eerily quiet at the sound of a door opening. Even with my back turned to them I can feel the air thickening, the group of friends remain quiet as soft footsteps approach me.

"Good morning," Aisha's quiet voice greets from behind me.

Forcing on a smile I turn to face her," good morning." I reply tensely.

"Ara, do you need any help with cooking?" Aisha asks with a yawn. I can't help but grow concern over her blood-shot eyes, it's obvious she was crying about Speka last night.

"We're almost done." I reply with cheerful tone — in hopes of lifting her mood up. "Can you hand me some plates? The food is done."

"Sure." She proceeds to dig through the cabinets.

"Look who decided to wake up!" Elsword exclaims loudly, I can already picture that toothy smile on his face. "Chung, how are you feeling?"

"Tired, really tired." He responds on a hoarse voice. "Did I sleep through the whole mission? And what's with the robes?"

"Can someone help him sit down? I will fetch him a glass of water." Buch chimes in. Aisha hands me a pile of plates before going to help Chung."

"Took you long enough to wake up, Sleeping Beauty." I snort while placing the steaming food on the plates. I could hear Aisha pulling out a chair for Chung.

"Oh so you're cooking." I can imagine his face scrunching up in disgust. "Looks like we'll all get food poisoning today."

"Haha very funny." I roll my eyes. "I could have your share, more food for me."

"You two are hopeless." Aisha giggles as she takes two filled plates to the table.

"So how's the missions going?" Chung quickly changes the subject. "Did you guys figure out what's happening here?"

"Chung, your friends have not completed their mission yet," Buch spoke up calmly. "However, that doesn't mean you can help them fight."

He slams his fist on the wooden dining table, "what; why not?!"

"Because you just recovered from a life threatening situation." I point out while taking the remaining plates. "We dragged you all the way to Bethma and this is our thanks?"

"I didn't ask you guys to drag me here." He rests his head on the table. "I told you guys to leave me; didn't I?"

"Technically, Ara was the one to save you." Elsword sends me a wink. "She was so worried about you! You should've seen her face, she was pale as a ghost."

I snort," as if I'd worry about you. Your ugly dehydrated face made me want to puke, I was simply being nice and decided to hold it in."

"You kids are very amusing." Buch places a glass of water by Chung. "However, your friends are right, you must rest some more."

"So I'm supposed to sit here and watch you guys fight?" He takes a sip out of the water. "How boring."

"Your fault for wearing such a thick layer of armor." I point out matter-of-factly. "Can't you be normal and wear something less bulky?"

"Shut it, demon freak."

"Enough arguing now." Buch quickly cut us off. "Everyone else needs to meet up with Stella right after breakfast, so hurry up and eat!" He glances at Chung. "Seeing how this young man is stirring with energy I shall have him help me with the housework." He averts his attention back on the team." I'll also fill him in on what has happened so far."

"Thank you, Buch." I reply with a polite bow. I could hear Chung snorting as a response.

We met up with Stella by the entrance of Bethma, this time Lucas was there to accompany her. I can see Aisha tensing up at Stella's plan for Speka, one of which involved the citizens of Bethma to burn her on a wooden stake - a pretty old fashion way of execution if you ask me.

"But we don't have enough evidence to prove Speka guilty." Elsword points out. "The only connection we have is the Dark Magic."

"Do you see any other mages using Dark Magic?" Stella challenges in a harsh tone. "This dark mage is suspicious enough! We must end her before she grows stronger."

"Have you even questioned her yet?" Aisha asks coldly. "Or are you just assuming she is the villain in this whole picture?"

"I tried talking to her last night, that mage would not answer a single question!" Stella's frown deepens. "She called me an old lady, that little brat!"

"It appears she needs some strict discipline." Eve grabs a hold of Elsword's arm. "I shall go and confront this mage, my loyal servant will accompany me."

"What?! Since when was I—" Elsword is cut off with a slap to the face.

"Stay quiet, pet. Or else I will summon Ophelia to punish you!"

"What about the rest of us?" Raven asks; ignoring the fact that Eve is abusing Elsword.

"Patrol the village and the surrounding areas. If you truly believe the captured mage is innocent then I expect some evidence to back her up!" Stella orders; she looks down at the small lizard. "Lucas, you shall help with the patrol. Go with along with these guys and do as they say."

"Y-yes, Stella!" Lucas hurries by our side. The small lizard is grinning widely at his task.

"We shall meet here at sundown." Stella rolls her sleeves up. "While you guys go paroling around my village I'll be hunting some demons down! I expect some new evidence when I return!"

"Come, servant, let us go!" Eve began to walk while dragging Elsword by the ear.

"Ow! Ow! Careful the ears are sensitive!" He complains loudly - probably hoping for someone to come help him.

"Lucas, can you go with Raven?" Aisha forces herself to smile at the lizard. "I want to talk with Ara about something."

Lucas tilts his head," why can't we listen?"

"It's uhh girl talk." She concluded with a sheepish smile.

"And that's our queue to leave, little man." Raven scoops the lizard up in his arms. "We'll be on the other side of the village." He hurries away without another glance back.

"But why can't we listen?" Lucas continues to ask. "I'm curious!"

"Trust me, girl territory is not something to be messed with." Raven simply replies. "You'll thank me when you're older."

Aisha giggles at Raven's responses," I can totally imagine Raven being a dad."

"So what's up?" I gesture Aisha to start walking down the village. "I'm assuming the whole girl talk was an excuse to drive them away."

"Yeah," Aisha's smile falls back to a frown. "It's about my sister."

Nodding I wait for her to continue, it must be hard to confront somebody of this matter.

"I don't know where to start." Aisha sends a small wave the the children running by us. "Do you remember that story you told me - with the whole rat and cat thing?"

"Yeah."

"I-it reminds me of my little sister." She rubs her eyes. "We used to get along with each other very well. Our Grandfather offered to teach us the traditional family magic, we were forbidden to learn any other forms of magic - our father was killed a long time ago when he battled a dark mage." That would explain her hate towards Dark Magic.

"I've always had a better grasp on natural magic, on the other hand, Speka didn't do so well. She was always impatient and hated studying the many famous spells made by our family. While I was always isolated at home studying, Speka would sneak outside to steal goodies, she would often come home with some snacks for me. She would then tell me all her adventures in the streets - she often tried convincing me to follow her out." Aisha smiled warmly at the memories.

"Mother often told others I was her favorite, which probably left Speka hurt, thinking back now I never really comforted her when mother would compare the two of us. This discouraged Speka to try in her studies, and caused her to sneak out more.

On the streets Speka learned of many survival techniques and has even learned a thing or two about the arts of Dark Magic - that must be what sparked her love for the darkness. Mother often punished her for sneaking out, but after a while, she grew immune to mother's hateful words.

Eventually she would be gone for days, no one knew where she would go off to and that worried Mother greatly. Mother often got herself sick because she was too worried about Speka, and it was hard for me to see her suffer like that."

"Is that why you hate your sister so much?" I ask hesitantly.

Aisha shakes her head, "She did something much worse that disappearing." She rubs her eyes." I remember the day of her betrayal so well.

It was our birthday, Grandpa prepared a large cake for the two of us. I believe we were turning eight, Mother gave us matching dresses for the party. The entire family was there, they were all very excited to see us. Grandpa decided we would show off our magic during the party, since there would only be family members there, it wouldn't matter if we failed or not.

Being the oldest I obviously got to go first, but I wanted my little sister to shine first - that's what a good big sister would do." Aisha's fists tighten.

"She amazed everyone alright, with her Dark Magic. At that moment I noticed how happy she looked, to see the hurt and betrayal on everyone's faces. Of course I didn't know what kind of spell she used at the time, but I knew it was something bad. Mother and Grandpa grew furious and threatened to kick her out of the family. Speka willingly left us that day, leaving everyone heartbroken. After seeing so many tears shed by my family I grew to hate my sister."

"So I'm assuming she learned the Dark Magic from her street friends." I hypothesize. "I guess she just wanted to be different."

"Maybe," Aisha clenches her teeth. "That's no reason for her to betray us."

"So do you think Speka is the one behind all of this?" I hesitantly ask.

Aisha grows quiet, taking a deep breath in she replies, "she could be, but I don't believe she would do such a thing." Aisha began tearing up. "Speka came here because our mom also told her about Grandpa."

Something clicks at the back of my mind," is that why you wanted to leave that day?" We never really got an answer from her, no one bothered to ask once the tension was gone.

"Yes, Grandpa suddenly started saying these weird things to Mother before leaving for another trip." She confesses. "After being unable to contact him for three days she informed me of his disappearance, I wanted to go home and see what's up. After hearing what Buch said I'm positive grandpa came here before his disappearance." Aisha smiles. "I guess deep inside Speka still cares for Grandpa."

My stomach twist into knots at the daunting question emerging in my head.

"One thing doesn't add up though." I point out. Aisha's face grows pale as I went on," how did Speka know he was here?"


	21. 21

Nothing big appeared during patrol, the only exciting thing that happened was several villagers complaining to us about stolen goods and maps. Aisha didn't talk much either, she must be analyzing the question I asked earlier.

Our day went by relatively slow, we passed by the other patrol group several times during the day - to kill time we explored new paths to take around the village and even discovered a few short cuts, I pretty much have the village layout memorized. Aisha and I hurried back to the meeting spot as soon as the sun began to set, both of us - especially Aisha - are exhausted from today.

Everyone but Eve and Elsword were already gathered, the look on Stella's face clearly says she is disappointed with the day's progress.

"You two!" She gestures us to hurry. "Anything new?" She asks the moment we arrive.

"Besides stolen goods and maps I don't think so." I spoke up. Stella grumbles with annoyance at my answer.

"Nothing again." She curses. "At this rate my whole village will kill themselves off."

"If only we know what we're looking for." Raven thought out loud. "Then maybe we can prevent more deaths."

"Maybe that mage is behind everything," Lucas pipes in. "Perhaps tonight we won't have any of our men fall into her spells."

"We have no evidence to prove her guilty." Aisha replies harshly. She turns her head away from the lizard," for all we know the real villain could be walking among us."

"Guys!" Glancing back I notice Elsword and Eve rushing towards us. I can't help but notice and annoyed look on both their faces and the newly formed bruises on Elsword's cheeks.

"Sorry we're late." Elsword pants. "We lost track of time."

"Well?" Stella places her hands on her hips. "Did you get anything useful from her?"

"If she was in my kingdom I would've cut her head off!" Eve snaps. "That human has absolutely no respect!"

"I'll sum up our day." Elsword cuts in. " When we got there she insulted our looks, next she called us names, and I think at one point she called Eve a human."

"Disgrace I tell you!" She slaps Elsword. "I blame you!"

"What?! Why do you blame me?" He rubs his red cheek.

"Because your human presence confused the mage! Not to mention you just sat there and did nothing!"

"Well you sat there when she said my face resembles a cow!" He points out.

"The truth hurts." Eve slaps him once again. "Be quiet, I must think of a punishment best fit for today's event."

"Looks like she's trying to avoid something." Aisha cuts the argument off. Her shoulders tense up. "I'll go and talk with her."

"What?" Elsword's annoyed expression is instantly replaced with concern - I bite the bottom of my lip at his response. "I'll come with you."

"It's fine." She smiles weakly at him. "Tell Buch I won't be home for dinner, this may take a long time."

"We'll save something for you to eat," Raven punches her arm. "Stay strong."

Elsword places a hand on her shoulder," take it easy, okay?" He gives a shoulder a tight squeeze. "I'll be here when you need someone to talk to."

Aisha's cheeks appear to flush in a light shade of pink," thanks, Elsword." Her eyes soften on him. I force myself to look away from them, my anger quickly taking over.

Lucas tugs at Aisha's sleeves," Stella and I will bring you there." The small lizard gives a reassuring smile as he leads her away, Stella follows shortly after.

"Let's go back." Raven suggests with a loud yawn. "I'm pretty tired after today."

"I believe we all deserve to rest after today's work." Eve agrees. Elsword and I watch in silence as our two friends begin their way back home, awkward silence falls between us upon their leaving.

"Come on," I nudge Elsword's arm. "We'll wait for her to return at Buch's place."

Elsword stays silent for a second before replying," yeah." He picks up his pace, as if this is a way of asking me to leave him alone. My previous anger is soon turned to sadness; the thought of Elsword leaving me for Aisha bothers me greatly.

Elsword didn't talk much during dinner, I tried to start a conversation with him, but he either gave me one word answers or completely ignored me - no one but me was bothered by his actions.

I was hoping we'd be able to talk, perhaps have some good laughs to help keep his mind off of Aisha and Speka, with all the recent events I think it'd be nice for him unwind a bit. He finished eating relatively fast and rushed out the door soon after, it's obvious he's rushing to see Aisha - I nearly had to ask Eun to take over in order to prevent myself from randomly crying.

Raven assisted Buch with the clean up while the rest of us sat on the floor playing truth or dare. I couldn't concentrate throughout the game, all I could think about is Elsword and how he left us to go after Aisha — how he left me. It got to a point where Eun had to remind me to laugh at the dares, I have never been so distracted by someone up until this point.

I wonder where Elsword is; did Stella let him be with Aisha? Did Aisha let him be with her? I wonder what they'll talk about afterwards; and why did Aisha blush at his comment earlier? I shouldn't worry to much about them, after all they're just close friends; right?

_Ara it's your turn. _

On the other hand, why should I care about Elsword and Aisha? It's not like anyone else cares about them.

_Ara Haan, it's your turn. _

I'm here on a mission, so why am I worrying about what Elsword is doing? I should be worried about the person behind the Dark Magic and Aisha's grandpa.

_Child, snap out of it! _

"Hey," Eve waves her hand in front of my face. I instantly snap back to reality.

"What? Is it my turn? Who did the dare? Do I need to—"

"You spaced out on us, idiot!" Chung says with crossed arms. "If you're going to play then at least try to pay attention."

"Alright I'm done the dishes." Raven sits himself down beside Eve. "Who's turn is it?"

"You guys can play." I spoke up before Eve could answer. "I'm going out for a walk."

No one questioned my sudden leaving, they simply watched in confusion as I walked out the door — it's not like I want to answer their questions anyway, a nice walk should help clear my thoughts out.

Sighing I begin my way down the the quiet village, with only the faint lights from each house lighting up my path — not that I need any light to help me see. I kick a pebble out of the way, it bounces along the street like a rock skipping on water, with only the nearby house to interrupt its path. My frown deepens at the thought of my mixed emotions.

"I don't get it, Eun." I whine to the demon. "Why do I feel this way?"

_I have done some observations lately and I think you are jealous of your mage friend._

"Jealous?" The word rolls uncomfortably out my mouth. "Why would I be jealous of her?"

_I do not know, after all, you are the one who possess a powerful demon like me. Perhaps you are jealous that Aisha has the red haired boy by her side. I do not understand why he is so special, but it appears you grow angry each time you witness him by her side._

"Elsword is special to me?" I try to laugh at my own statement. "That can't be it, he's just my friend."

"You sound like a crazy person." I snarl at the unexpected voice behind me. Chung instantly holds his hands up," calm down! I don't plan on be slaughtered tonight."

I relax at the familiar face - even if its a face of someone I hate," what are you doing here?" I cross my arms. "Shouldn't you be inside playing truth or dare."

"I came all the way here to get you and this is how you treat me?" He narrows his eyes. "You're lucky I don't have my cannon with me."

Hold on! Did Chung just say he came to get me? What kind of sick joke is he trying to pull? "Ha ha you're so funny." I roll my eyes. "Look, I just want to be alone."

"That's too bad, I'm here to bother you." Chung casually makes his way toward me. "I need to ask you something anyways."

"Oh really?" I prepare myself for another one of his insults. "If you're going to ask me something then I get to ask you something next time."

"Whatever," he stops a few inches from me. "Why were you so desperate to save me? Back when we ran into the lizards."

I raise my brow at him," what's there to know?"

"It's clear that you don't like me, so why go through the trouble of saving me? Leaving your enemy to die is a more efficient plan." He points out matter-of-factly. I hate to admit it but he has a good point.

I cross my arms at his statement," yes, you are someone I don't really like." I began with a stern tone. "However, your friends would think otherwise. If I allowed you to die back then it would've been a selfish act. Sure, I wouldn't have to deal with you anymore; but how would Elsword feel? Do you think Raven would be happy? What about everyone else?"

Chung remained quiet, for once he has nothing to come back with. I take this once in a life time opportunity to continue talking," I may work along side with a demon, but that doesn't mean I don't think about other people."

"Fair enough," Chung turns his head away from me. "I guess I never thought of that."

_Perhaps you should return back to the alchemist's place. There is no reason to stay here any longer._

'I would still like to sort out my thoughts first.' I'd like to return without any mixed feeling, that way I can enjoy my time with everyone else without having to worry.

"By the way," I nearly forgot Chung was around until he spoke up. "You shouldn't ponder on Elsword so much, it makes you look stupid."

"How did you—"

"I notice quite a lot of things." He interrupts. "It's not healthy."

Of all the people who could've noticed; why does it have to be Chung?

"I do think about him often." I confess - this is probably a huge mistake. "Eun says I'm jealous of Aisha; can you believe such nonsense? Why would I—"

"I don't particularly care about your sob story." Chung rudely cuts me off. "All I know is that Elsword wouldn't fit you. He's a walking disaster, only that mage can deal with someone like him."

"I see," my eyes burn of tears. "I shouldn't care of such things. It irks me how this bothers me so much."

Chung roughly punches my on the shoulder," stop crying, spoiled brat, it's not worth it. Get back inside and continue the game with us, it got awkward when you left."

I hurriedly wipe my eyes dry," thanks." I sheepishly play with my fingers," and sorry for bothering you with this." It feels almost wrong to have a normal conversation with him.

"Don't expect me to do this a second time!" He began to walk away. "You'll give me half your breakfast tomorrow, I expect you to have nothing but crumbs on your plate."

"I saved you so you should be the one to give me food!" I shot back. "I believe you should be the one handing over your food tomorrow." I mentally pat myself on the back.

Chung glances back at me," then we'll both keep our share of food, until next time."

At that moment I couldn't help but notice the smile formed on his lips. I have never seem him smile - aside from his annoying smirks - and I don't think I ever will after tonight.

I could've just been seeing things, but I can't help but feel happy at his actions. Even as his enemy I would like to see him smile, laugh, and be happy some more.


	22. 22

**Uploading the chapters will be a bit slower now, due to the fact that I'm starting to run out of pre-written content and I still have finals to worry about. I'm sure some of you are already enjoying your summer vacation but I'm still in school and I have a ton of finals to prep for. I apologize for the lack of content but I'm really trying my best here. Hope you guys understand.**

"So here is the plan for today!" Stella slams her fist down on Buch's wooden table. "Yesterday we were unable to get any information out of that mage and we cannot waste each day trying to pry answers from her. Today I will deal with that brat, as for the rest of you I have another important assignment!" She began to pace the room.

"We have recently lost contact with the elder, he was supposed to drop by the village a couple days ago. Our villagers are growing worried over this old lizard, I fear that he may be captured."

"What if the elder is also influenced by Dark Magic?" Raven spoke up, Stella stiffens at his question. "Have you sent your men to go see if he's okay?"

"If our elder is influenced by Dark Magic our village will be devastated."

Buch began. "Berauk has helped the lizardmen community grow in many ways. His knowledge has helped us function as a mature community, everyone would be devastated if he was influenced by this magic."

"That is why we must send your team out to Bethma Lake, we must ensure the safety of our elder." Stella adds on. "I am entrusting Lucas with your team. He knows a quick and easy way to the lake and will be given training through your team." Stella looks around the table. "Any questions?"

Elsword raises his hand," what will we do if this elder has already fallen under control of the Dark Magic?" He challenges.

Stella closes her eyes," you will need to end him." She replies shakily. "There is nothing else we can do."

The table grows silent for a moment, we watch as Stella tries to recollect herself. Buch gently pats Stella's back, looking over at us he quietly gestures everyone to get going. We each send him a weak smile before getting out of our seats, no one utters a single word as we prepare ourselves for the day's work.

Grabbing my spear from the guest room I hurriedly make my way out of the house, I plan on fetching Yang while everyone else is packing up for the trip. I blindly walk through the village, hoping I'll get lucky and run into the animals stalls.

"Miss Ara!" Lucas calls out from behind me. Turning around I notice Yang hurrying towards me with Lucas sitting on its back.

"Yang!" I kneel down to hug the phoru's head. "How have you been, buddy?" I giggle as Yang licks my cheeks.

"Look the blacksmith gave me a new spear!" Lucas holds up his small wooden spear proudly. "I know it isn't as cool as your spear but I still love it!"

"I'm sure you'll get a more advanced spear when you're older." I reassure. "Let's head back to Buch's place, everyone is getting ready there."

I allowed Lucas to navigate through the village with Yang. Although he nearly crashed into the nearby houses we managed to arrive at Buch's in one peice. Everyone but Elsword and Aisha has been assembled outside of his house, which makes me wonder what could possibly be taking them so long.

"How are you doin'?" Chung pushes me roughly. "I still can't believe Buch won't let me out with you guys. I get to go grocery shopping while everyone else is on some mission."

"Suck it up." I use this opportunity to punch his arm. "I can finally punch you without all that armor on."

Chung crosses his arms," I'll bruise your arm once I can wear my armor again." He looks away from me. "All joking aside I have a request for you."

"What's that? Do I hear extra food landing on my plate or-"

"Yeah whatever." He rudely interrupts. "Since I won't be with you guys I want you to inform me of everything after dinner, we'll talk outside. I would like to know what we're up against once I can fight again."

"Why me?" I blurt out.

"Well let's see." He began jokingly. "Elsword will probably screw up all the details, Aisha would smack me each time I interrupt, Eve and her slap is a whole different story, and if I suddenly have a private talk with Raven everyone will get the wrong idea."

"So having a private talk with me won't give anyone ideas?" I shot back with a wink.

"Of course, you and I don't get along anyways. The most that'll happen is a fight." He shrugs. "I expect you to give me the correct information."

"That's true."

"Okay guys let's get going!" Elsword exclaims while stepping out of the house, Aisha follows shortly after.

"Oh and remember what I said yesterday." Chung whispers in my ear. "That block head is not worth it, move on and slay some demons, you blood thirsty monster."

Lucas guided us through the rocky terrain, the steep slopes were the main reason for our slow pace - walking back up will be another problem. Everyone but the small lizard has trouble climbing down, while we were all scared to death of slipping Lucas climbed down in record time. The poor lizard had to wait at the bottom while the rest of us took our sweet time.

The hot desert sun scorched mercilessly down on our heads, we quickly grew exhausted from the heat and work. I could hear the angels singing as water could be seen from a distance, mentally cross my fingers in hopes that it isn't an illusion.

"Water!" Elsword collapses to his knees at the sight of a large lake. "We made it! Let's have a swim before going further."

Taking off my sandels I dip my feet into the lake's water, I let out a sigh of relief at the cold sensation surrounding my feet," I'm so happy this wasn't an illusion." I thought out loud.

"My poor hair is all messy." Aisha fixes up her messy pigtails.

"We can relax after checking up on the elder!" Lucas gingerly stands up on Yang's back. "We need to head towards those wooden platforms." He points to the wooden structure on the right. "Berauk resides in there."

"That guy chose a very good spot to live in." Raven wipes his sweat drenched forehead. "I would never leave this lake if I lived here."

Lucas sits back down on Yang," come on it's not that far away!" He orders Yang to start walking. "The faster we do this the faster we get to relax." Everyone else follows shortly behind.

"Right when we can finally sit down." I sigh while taking my feet out of the water. "You can't really blame the elder for not wanting to leave this oasis." I hurriedly put on my sandals before catching up with the others.

"As the Queen of Nasods I approve of this body of water." Eve takes a sip out of her water bottle. "We should refill our water later, I dislike how our drinking water has warmed up."

My ears twitch at the sound of distant shouting, Eun growls at the faint smell of metal - blood. These noticeable details grow stronger as we reached the wooden platforms, shivers run down my spin as we proceed further down the wooden structure.

_I can hear lizards and machines._

'Me too, Eun.'

"Ara, you look distressed." Elsword frowns. "Are you okay?"

"Eun and I feel something is wrong." Everyone glances back at me. "Blood, I can smell it from here."

"The elder," Lucas' eyes widen with horror. "H-he may be injured."

"Let's hurry!" Elsword orders. Without another word everyone breaks off into a sprint, I brace myself for a sudden attack as we approach closer to the smell."

We come to a quick halt as we reach what appears to be the end of this structure. The end platform big as a small arena, with traditional Lizardmen ornaments decorating the living space, and bowls of herbs and dried food arranged throughout the area.

What caught our eyes was the old lizardman held down by two Nasods, just like Buch he had on a feather chief hat, but he also has on a large orange beaded necklace, and a traditional Lizardmen clothing piece. A lizardman with dual swords stood in front of him, each of his blades were stained with the elder's blood.

"F-Father!" Lucas shouts out to the enemy lizard - he doesn't respond to his son.

The elder turns his head to face us," Lucas," he gasps for air. "Your father has fallen into the Dark Magic's grasp. Do not hesitate to fight him, I'm sure he will understand."

"No," Lucas replies weakly. My heart shatters at the scene unfolding before us. This poor kid has seen many of his fellow friends die, to make him watch us slay his dad will be too cruel.

"Those Nasods," Eve pushes past us, she tightens her fists. "They are not the Nasods I have designed."

"Quiet!" The enemy lizard slashes the elder's stomach, I can hear Lucas calling his dad to stop attacking. "Time has run out, tell me the location of the Sealed Dragon!"

The elder lizard averts his attention back on the enemy," I will not tell you such information. Even if I do you cannot summon the dragon, no one knows where the dragon's power is."

"I will slit your throat." The enemy lizard places one of his swords against his neck. "Tell me, old man, where is the dragon?!"

Elsword jumps into action before anymore of this could drag on any longer," Sword Fall!" He summons out four golden swords, with a snap of a finger the swords are sent raining down on the enemy lizard. The lizard quickly notices his attack and swiftly counters them.

"I shall not let humans interfere!" The Lizard hurdles his sword at us. We barely had enough time to move out of the way as it moved from and back to the lizard.

"Dad, stop!" Lucas pleads. "C-can't you recognize me? I'm your son!"

"Nasods, make sure you keep this old man down!" The lizard glares at us. "I must eliminate some pests first."

"We have no choice!" Raven draws his sword. "We'll have to fight him."

"Eve, can you go take care of those Nasods?" Elsword asks.

Eve nods, her two drones hover closely beside her," I shall take one in to study after. I must learn more about these impostures."

Aisha summons out her staff," alright good luck guys!" With that everyone but me and Lucas goes charging towards the lizard.

Lucas watches in horror as my team launches various attacks on his dad, I rest my and on his shoulder," sorry you have to see this." I stare blankly at the fight raging on.

"D-dad went missing on a hunting trip," Lucas began shakily. "S-Stella thought he was killed by a demon, t-that's why she took me in as her own son."

"You never would've thought you would see him again." I say, understanding what he's trying to tell me. "Nor did you ever think you'd have to see someone slay him."

Lucas bursts out in tears, Yang gently nuzzles his cheek in response," i-is it okay if I wait for you guys down by the entrance?"

"It's fine." I pull him into a hug. "I am very sorry that you have to see this."

Lucas hugs me back, he bawls loudly in my arms. I gingerly help the lizard back on Yang's back," protect him, Yang." I order my Phoru sternly. "Keep a close eye on him, and don't hesitate to run back to us if things get too rough."

Nodding Yang hurries back to the entrance, I pray for Lucas' mental state as I watch Yang carry him down the narrow path. I can't even begin to imagine the pain Lucas must be going through now, for a kid this traumatizing event can leave behind some serious emotional and mental injuries.

_Let us put the kid's father to rest. Leaving him to suffer like this will only hurt both parties._

'I understand, Eun, but I don't think I'll be able to face him after. How can we even talk to him after we kill his father?'

_He will understand. An animal which is between death and life suffers the most, a good owner will end its misery for it is the best action to take. _

"There has to be another way." I rub my eyes. "I hope there's another way."

_Watch out!_

I snap into action at the sword flying my direction. Jumping high into the air to dodge I prepare myself to attack the lizard," Falling Dragon!" The lizard moves last minute as I come crashing down.

"Magic Missile!" Aisha summons out a glowing missile, the small glowing orb repeatedly homes in on the lizard.

Raven uses this opportunity to launch his attack," Shockwave - Cutter!" Raven slashes his sword, sending a sonic shock wave towards the distracted lizard. The enemy lizard uses one of his swords to help keep himself up, Elsword smirks at our victory.

"We won," he surrounds himself in a strong red aura. We move aside as our leader moves closer to the nearly fallen lizard," Crescent-"

A sudden shock wave sends us flying back, an evil aura approaches shortly after the shock wave. Looking up I growl at the new lizard approaching Lucas' father. This new lizard appears to be different from the rest, he has feathered accessories rested on both shoulders, and a feathered chief hat stretching from his head and along his back. A staff rested in his right hand while a rolled up scroll rested in the other.

"Master," the wounded lizard bows his head. "Sorry I have failed you."

"It is fine, my pet." The strange lizard began. He smirks at the weakened elder. "I see you have been practicing some protection spells, it's such a pain that I cannot take you with my magic."

"You were the one to cast a spell on these lizards." Aisha began helping herself help. "I won't forgive you!"

"I can easily make you my pet with my magic." He began to wave his staff, my heart pounds loudly at the red aura surrounding his staff.

Aisha slams her staff on the ground, a large purple barrier surrounds us along with the weakened aura. The lizard frowns at her actions," I shoulder expected such a spell from you." Lowers his staff.

"You won't get away with this, Shaman Kayak." The elder wheezed.

"Berauk, you talk too much for a person who is about to die." Kayak laughs with amusement. "Your ancient scrolls have provided me with enough information. All I need now is to find the dragon's power. It's a shame you won't live long enough to see my victory."

"Kayak, you have no idea what you're doing!"

Kayak smirks," and you don't have much time left. Nice knowing you, old friend." With a wave of his staff Kayak teleports away - taking Lucas' father with him.

Aisha lifts the barrier the instant they are gone," so that's his motive." She noted, her grip on the staff tightens.

"The elder!" Elsword scrambles up, hurrying by the dying lizard's side. We hurriedly follow him.

"Elder!" Elsword gently nudges the lizard's cheek. "Are you with us?! Open your eyes, please!"

The old lizard lets out a groan," you are very loud." He forces on a smile. "I thank you kids for saving me, at least I die with such great heroes surrounding me."

"You can't die!" I pipe in. "Your village needs you."

"Death does not care of such small details, just like the many people of this world death is only here to do its job. It will not care to look at your back story." The elder lectures softly. "Kids, I ask that you guys pass this information down to Buch. Aside from me he is the only lizard who knows of the dragon's location. Buch may be able to help you track down the dragon's power."

"Understood," Raven replied blankly. "We'll carry out your last wish, you can rest without concern now."

"Also, take this beaded necklace." The elder adds on. We all avert our eyes on the large necklace hanging from his neck. "Give this to Buch, I want him to have something to remember me by."

"Is that all you need?" Eve asks softly.

"Yes," the old lizard smiles. "My soul can be at peace now." With one final breath the old lizard passes on to the other side.


	23. 23

**Finally June is done and school is over! I just want to thank everyone for being patient, and thank you to everyone who has followed me and my stories! It makes me happy to see everyone enjoying my works.**

**Next I have some news that some of you may not like. Prepare yourselves guys.**

**I've been writing fanfictions for quite some time now, I had a blast writing for you guys and these stories have helped me improve quite a bit; the feedback I got from people also helped a bunch. Unfortunately, I will soon be discontinuing to write fanfictions. I'll leave every story up for you guys to enjoy and share with other. I will officially "retire" from this when I finish two more stories (hint: you guys voted for these on a poll). They might take some time to get finished but I promise I'll find a way to get them to you guys. I'll also come back once in a while to fix up a some stories, read a few stories, and maybe write the occasional one shot.**

**Thank you all so much for the support, and now I present to you the next chapters to Yin Yang.**

**And to those wondering where the other Elgang are, I don't always put everyone in the story. This is because working with a large cast is difficult, so I will leave certain characters out to help make it easier to write.**

We spared poor Lucas the details of the elder's death, along with the disappearance of his father. The trip back was filled with silence, we managed our way back up the path without a single compliant - the silence simply added on to the thick tension. Stella was eagerly awaiting our return at Buch's front steps, concern filled her eyes at our appearance. No one spoke up once we reached her, our silence gave Stella enough information on the events which took place.

"That necklace." Stella stares at the necklace in Raven's arms. "I see Berauk entrusted you with it."

"There are many things we must discuss." Eve spoke up. Oberon stood beside her with the dead enemy Nasod in his hands. "In addition, I must ask you of a few things." Stella's face hardened at her comment.

"Buch is currently out." Stella sits herself down on the steps. "Shall we discuss things here?"

"Stella, does your village encounter Nasods often?" Eve questions bluntly.

Stella nods stiffly," far in the outskirts of our village lays a strange floating land. In the past we would send our men out to patrol, they would often report encounters with Nasods."

Eve lets out a gasp at Stella's explanation," could it be that someone is creating new Nasods?" She ponders at the idea. "Is it possible he could still be active?"

"So now we have evil mages and more Nasods." Elsword pipes in. "Eve, are you sure someone else is making new Nasods? What if those enemy Nasods were just survivors like you?"

"They are not of my design!" She snaps back with a slap; I cringed at the sound of Eve's loud slap. "I must study further into this case, as the Queen it is my responsibility to find some answers to this mystery!"

"Berauk . . . is his body still at Bethma Lake?" Stella stares blankly on the ground.

Our group exchange glances once again, breaking such a tragic event to Stella is not easy. Considering all the stress she's in I bet this event will only made things worse," h-he's still at the lake." Aisha finally spoke up for us.

"I see," she looks up to make eye contact with Lucas. Her eyes soften on the young lizard," Lucas, how are you doing?"

Lucas hops off of Yang's back. He runs into Stella's arms, embracing her tightly as he begins to bawl," I-I saw my dad!" He cried loudly. "T-the evil mage has control over him!"

Stella hugs him back," shh everything will be okay." She whispers softly. "Just let it all out you'll be fine after a good cry." She comforts the young lizard like a mother comforting her frightened child.

"It's confirmed that Speka isn't our target." Elsword adds on quietly, he seems hesitant to push forward. "The mage is a lizardman."

"A lizardman?" Stella's jaw drops slightly, her face draining of color. "Berauk and Buch are the only lizardmen who knows how to use magic."

"Stella, you know very well that is not true." Buch's unexpected voice causes Stella to jump.

I avert my eyes towards the approaching alchemist; Chung walked beside him with various baskets hanging from his hands - I'm assuming those are Buch's groceries. Buch's jaw tightens at the sight of the elder's necklace, without saying another word he gestures us inside.

"Go bring the Phoru back to the stalls." Stella orders Lucas gently. "Once you're done wait for me at home, I'll prepare some dinner for us later."

"O-okay." Lucas wipes his tear drenched eyes. Stella kisses him on the forehead before breaking the hug.

"Let us discuss this matter further inside." Stella helps herself back up. "Come we don't have much time to spare."

The silent group follows after Stella inside, I gently pet my Phoru's head before handing it over to Lucas. The small lizard exchanges a forced smile with me before guiding Yang back to the animal stalls.

_It is a shame we could not save his father. _I can hear the pity ringing from Eun's voice. _I must admit it will certainly be tough for us to end his father's life._

'Let's not talk about this now, Eun.'

When we do face Lucas' father; how will any of us bring ourselves to ending him? In the end we are ending the life of someone's only parent, no matter what our reason may be it is still not a humane decision - but what other choice do we have?

"Tough day eh?" Chung jolts me back to reality, he holds out two baskets towards me. "Be useful and carry these for me."

"We fortunately didn't get a chance to finish off Lucas' dad." I began while taking the two baskets. "I wouldn't be able to face him if we had."

"Sometimes the job isn't easy." Chung slowly makes his way up the steps, as if waiting for me to catch up with him. "However, we must do what we can to complete the mission. Sometimes unfortunate sacrifices must be made."

I hesitantly follow behind Chung," how many of these sacrifices have you guys made?" I blurt out. "You seem to know a awful lot about this topic." Regret quickly follows as those words slipped out of my mouth - I mentally slap myself.

Chug stiffens at me question, his hands tighten around the baskets," enough," his voice sounding cold." We already made enough sacrifices. It's saddening how we must continue to sacrifice in order to get the job done."

"Chung." I bite my bottom lip; wishing I could take back what I had just said. "Sorry for asking."

He snorts; shrugging my comment off as if it was nothing," what's done is done." He opens the wooden door for me. "There's no such thing as a retry button in life. This world won't stop spinning just for anyone."

"Yeah." I reply in a soft whisper as I step inside. I take a quick glance to see everyone gathered around Buch's small living room, Stella and the alchemist sat on the couch while our team scattered throughout the floor.

"Just place the baskets down and come join us." Buch gestures to the team. Our team members turn their heads towards us, staring blankly while they wait for us to join them.

I decide to place my baskets down by the door, my stomach twists into knots as I make my way to the group. Hesitantly I sit myself down beside Elsword. Chung hurriedly sat on the other side of me; I am literally sandwiched between the person I cared for and the person I dislike - talk about awkward.

"May I see the necklace?" Buch asks Raven.

"Y-yes, sir." He hands the necklace over to the alchemist. Buch gently takes it into his hands and rests the beads on his lap. My heart clenched at the pain in Buch's eyes, I can understand his pain of losing a friend; a fellow villager.

"I hope your soul is at peace, Berauk." Buch gently strokes the round beads with a sad smile.

"He will be looking after us from the heavens." Stella attempts to comfort the heartbroken alchemist while failing to hide the pain in her voice.

Elsword clears his throat loudly catching the attention of both the alchemist and Stella. "Buch, Berauk wanted us to pass down some information to you. He believes you are the last lizard to be able to help us." He began hesitantly. "During the fight we learned the mage's name, if I remember correctly Berauk addressed him as Shaman Kayak."

Buch's jaw drops at the sound of the name," are you positive it was Shaman Kayak?" He questions shakily. The change in Buch's mood catches our attention.

Aisha nods," do you know of this lizard?"

Buch rubs his eyes," yes, Berauk and I thought he died a long time ago." He began. "Kayak has always be fascinated by the Sealed Dragon, he studied many summoning spells back in the day. He was no magician and often failed at his spells, the crazy ol' lizard often came to Berauk and I for assistance but we refused he request. Both the elder and I knew his obsession over this dragon is unhealthy and would be best for him to not know of its location. One day he went out on an expedition to sharpen his magical skills, he was never heard of again. Berauk and I were positive he was reckless and died from an accident."

"It appears Kayak has been busy sharpening his Dark Magic." Stella thought out loud with crossed arms.

"He was also searching for the location of the Dragon." Raven adds on. "He tormented the elder lizard with one of his puppets. Berauk didn't give in but the Dark Mage got enough information from his scrolls."

"He also managed to get Nasods by his side." Eve pipes in angrily - I hope she doesn't take her anger out on Elsword.

"All he needs is the dragon's power." Buch concludes with a deep frown. "Not even I know of its location."

"The dragon's power seems like a very important part in this puzzle piece." Chung jumps in. "The villagers at the time must've kept the power in Bethma. Entrusting the power to some outsider would be a dangerous move, I'm positive they would've wanted this power in the hands of Bethma's own people."

"If that is the case then this power must be in Bethma somewhere." Stella rubs her chin. "Perhaps it's in one of our landmarks or in some of the older buildings."

"Perhaps we can ask some families about items that have been passed down to them." Aisha suggests excitedly.

Stella claps her hands together," then it is decided, we shall search throughout Bethma for the dragon's power!" Her eyes lighten up at the new lead. "Our search will begin tomorrow!Tonight I will research possible places of the power's location. You kids have worked hard today and I believe everyone here deserves a good rest."

Some food and some relaxing time does sound like a pretty good deal, after today I'm looking forward to some slack - along with something to help clear my mind.

"Stella, now that we have confirmed who this Dark Mage is, I ask that you release the previous one you have caught." Buch's request causes Stella to freeze up - I can imagine Aisha stiffening up as well. "I will take the mage in, she must be tired and hungry."

"It doesn't change the fact that she uses Dark Magic!" Stella points out in a matter of fact tone. "This mage could be-"

Buch holds up his hand; cutting Stella off," I will take full responsibility if this mage causes trouble." Stella doesn't respond; she knows better than to argue with Buch.

"Are you sure?" This time it was Aisha to ask. "She really could be dangerous. Dark magic is not something to be taken lightly! Spe- I mean this Dark Mage could end up killing us all!" I could see the hesitation in her eyes, Speka and Aisha may be on bad terms but I'm sure she still cares deeply for her.

Buch simply smiles warmly at her," she is still a human." He replies gently. " A human who can get hungry, tired, and lonely."

After much debate Stella finally gave in, Buch left with her soon after to fetch our new guest. Eve insisted we prepare something for her to eat shortly after they left, as a result, Aisha grew very bitter with Eve's decision; along with everyone else for agreeing with Eve. No one dared to confront the mage once she locked herself in the bathroom - Elsword's new head injury was enough to keep us away from her.

While Raven and Eve prepared the meal, I stared out the small window while my mind wandered through an endless tunnel of thoughts - I'm such a helpful friend.

Eun and I talked a bit about this situation, Eun still believes this mission is a waste of time and insists on returning back to Elder. I on the other hand want to help this village out, seeing Stella stress over so many problems is painful to watch. I can't imagine the fear and stress the villagers must feel, knowing that at any second one of their own family member could fall under an unbreakable spell.

"Hey, ugly." Chung pushes me roughly to the side; forcing me back to reality. "What are you looking at; air particles?"

"Shut it." I punch him on the shoulder. "I'm just lost in thought."

Chung leans against the wall," Buch said I can fight along side with you guys soon. It's about time I return to the battle field."

"Oh goodie." I roll my eyes. "Then I get to see that face of yours some more."

"Don't you find this whole Dragon thing suspicious?" His unexpected question catches me off guard. "Buch told me all about the old legend while you guys were gone. Something doesn't make sense. How can three powerful wizards fail to take down a Dragon? Not to mention this dragon was still bursting with energy after days of combat."

I raise my brow at him," what are you getting at?"

He crosses his arms," a dragon with enormous amounts of energy and immunity to lava. When was the last time we ran into something with enormous amounts of power?"

_Perhaps he is hinting us about the El Shard. _Eun's statement causes shivers to run down my spine.

"Are you saying-"

"That the dragon's power comes from an El Shard?" He finishes with a smirk. "That's only my hypothesis."

"I guess it would make sense." I began to ponder on his theory. "The El Shards are scattered throughout Elrois. It would be foolish to think that all the El Shards could only be found in Elder."

"Of course this dragon could just be a very strong beast, but it doesn't hurt to ponder on that theory." I can literally see Chung beaming with pride at his thoughtful theory; I doubt he was smart enough to come up with that by himself.

"Looks like Eun will be more motivated to help now." I add on jokingly; Eun grumbles angrily at my remark.

"I guess we won't need to talk about today's events, Buch and Elsword already summarized everything for you." He winks. "No extra food for you."

I stick my tongue out," whatever I wasn't going to take from you anyways. Why would I take from someone who needs the food to heal?"

"I never knew you had a heart." He pretends to be amazed. "I thought fox ladies only cared about hunting for food."

I let out a low growl," don't call me a fox lady."

"Ohh foxy has some claws." He teases. "I'm so very scared." The sarcasm in his tone of voice sticks out like a sore thumb.

_One of these days I'll rip this kid's throat out. _

Before I could reply the front door opens up, Chung and I avert our attention to the front entrance. Buch steps in with a small smile formed on his wrinkled lips, he gestures our new guest to follow him in. Speka gingerly makes her way inside, she appears to be on high alert - probably scared that this is some trap set up by Aisha.

Speka looks more run-down since the last time I saw her. Strands of her purple hair are sticking out from her loose braids, dark bags hang under her lifeless eyes, and I can faintly make out the red markings on her wrists - those hand cuffs must've been a real pain.

"I smell fresh food." Buch comments blissfully, as if he's immune to the thick tension filling up his house. "Did you guys make dinner for us to eat?"

"We actually made this for Speka." Raven responds while trying to hide the discomfort in his voice. "Elsword's treating his head injuries in the guest room,and Aisha's uhh using the toilet."

"Sure she is." Speka glares coldly at Raven. "How long has she been taking a dump?"

Buch places a hand on her shoulder," make yourself at home, Speka." The Dark Mage's shoulders tense up.

"I have no home." She brushes his hand off. "I live on the streets, always have and always will."

"She's just a bit shy." Buch navigates his way towards the closed bathroom door. He gently knocks on the door. "Aisha, it's rude to hide from a guest."

"Tell Elsword that!" Her muffled voice snaps from the others side.

"He is tending his wounds the boy has an excuse." Buch knocks on the door again. "Aisha, we all know you aren't using the bathroom. Come out and say hi to my new guest."

Silence falls upon us like a thick blanket. Chung and I stood stiffly beside each other as we wait for Aisha's answer, Raven and Eve quietly finished cooking the meal.

Shivers run down my spin as the bathroom door slowly creeks open, an angry Aisha is revealed on the other side - her blood shot eyes emphasizing her upset state.

The two sisters glare at each other, both parties probably holding back the urge to fight one another. Aisha was the first to speak up," hi." Her voice sounding cold and emotionless.

"Hi." Speka mirrors her sister's tone.

"Is that a way to formally address each other?" Buch challenges. "A simple hi will not do, Stella has informed me about your relationships. You two are my guests, and I ask that you two behave and address each other formally."

I nervously nibble on my nails; who knows what this reunion will cause? Knowing their past it's safe to say that both sisters wish to fight each other - especially Aisha. Would it even be possible for them to forgive and forget?

Aisha clears her voice," hello, little sister."

Speka frowns," hello, big sister."


	24. 24

Dinner was awkward - no awkward doesn't even begin to describe it. Buch called everyone out to have dinner, we were all expected to eat dinner with our new guest. To make matters worse Buch sat the two sisters beside each other, this factor alone was enough to shut us all up. I decided to sit myself between Eve and Raven, sitting beside them will certainly help lift the tension for me.

We remained silent as Buch brought out the food for us, there wasn't much to offer due to the fact that the food was made just for the guest - no one thought of having dinner together.

"There may not be enough to fill up everyone." Buch hands us our plates. Most of our plates were barely filled with food. "I'll prepare some more for everyone."

Silence came as a result. Speka awkwardly began to eat, we did not utter a single word as the Dark Mage ate her food.

_Perhaps this mage knows of the Shard's location. _Eun said suddenly.

'We can ask her about that later.' I try my best to keep a straight face. 'Let's just wait until some of this tension is gone.'

_This will surely take long time._

_ "_So, Speka, how are you enjoying Bethma so far?" Buch breaks the silence. Speka tenses up at his question.

"It's really warm." She replies in a small whisper.

"This old lizard has poor ears, so you better speak up."

Speka clears her voice," it's warm here. I would've enjoyed it more if I wasn't captured by that lady."

"That's a rude way to address someone." Aisha grumbles. Speka sends her a quick glare before returning to her meal.

"Stella is just under a lot of stress." Buch replied nonchalantly. "She has to protect this village and take care of a young lizard. To some our Stella is a cold woman, but she is really a kind-hearted person. She'll sacrifice all of her time to ensure the safety of our village."

"She sounds like a mother." Aisha pipes in. Speka's shoulders tense up at her sister's remark. "Everyone knows a mother's love is unbreakable towards her children. It's a real shame when her own children betray her. I wonder if her child would feel sorry for breaking their mother's heart."

The tension thickens around us; glancing around the table I notice everyone's wandering eyes. It's a matter of time before the two sisters fight one another and we all want to get out of here before at happens.

"That's true," Speka replies calmly. "It's also sad how a mother is unable to accept her children. If a mother truly loved her children she would not expect them to grow up the way she wants them to, she should allow them to choose their own path."

Aisha crosses her arms," mother's do know best."

"Some mothers only care about what they want. They do not acknowledge the fact that their children are not her slaves. They have a will and mind of their own. Mothers like that are a disgrace."

Aisha suddenly pounds her fists against the table, a few of us gasp at the sudden noise. All eyes land on the two sisters," shut up!" Aisha cries loudly.

Speka stares blankly at her twin," you're so-"

Aisha cuts her off," you have no right to talk about my mother like that!" She glares icily at Speka. "You weren't there when she was crying, when she bowed down at our father's grave to apologize; when she gave up on using magic!"

"Why should a care about such useless things?!" Speka shot back. I can see the water building up in her lifeless purple eyes. "She only cared about you and our traditional family magic! I was never good at using that form of magic, but she forced me to learn it anyways! As my mother I thought she would be happy if she saw me mastering something I'm good at, but I guess I was wrong."

"You knew Dark Magic was forbidden!"

"No one said it was! It was only forbidden in the stupid family."

My jaw drops as Aisha swings her hand across Speka's face. Elsword sprang up from his seat, as if he's getting ready to interfere.

"How dare you say such fowl words towards my family." Aisha tightens her fists - tears began to escape from her eyes. "I can't believe it, Speka. Of all the people who would betray us it's you my own little sister."

Speka rolls her eyes - trying to keep her tough act on," so now you think of me as your sister?!" She snorts. "You were right, Aisha, I'm not a part of _your _weak family. I never was a part of it. In fact I should've never been born!"

Aisha seems taken aback by her response," Speka, you would've been a part of it if you-"

"Enough!" I can see a faint purple aura surrounding Speka. "Mother always favored you, everyone said I didn't act like her daughter. They wouldn't have known I was part of the family if I didn't look like you. When I left the family I thought it would've been hard to leave everyone behind, but I was wrong. How can I be sad about leaving my family when I was never a part of it?"

"Speka." Aisha clenches her jaw. "I have no words left for you." With that Aisha springs out of her chair and runs out the house. Elsword hurriedly follows after her.

I exchange nervous glances with Raven and Eve, we grew more tense as Speka covers her face in her hands - crying quietly to herself. I can hear Buch turning off the stove from behind, he gently makes his way towards the crying mage. We watch in utter silence as Buch sits himself beside Speka; no one dared to make a sound.

"I will make some dinner for everyone later." He says in a whisper. "For now could you all please step outside?"

"Understood." Eve helps herself up. "Let us go now."

We do as the Queen says without another word - although I would like to stay a bit long to hear more about Speka's side of the story. On the way out I strain my ears to listen to Buch and Speka's quiet conversation; I'm sure the others are doing the same thing.

"You can kick me out." Speka says in a soft whisper. "I would've done the same if I were you."

"Nonsense, why would I ever do such a thing?" Buch responds gently - probably with a warm smile. "I cannot kick out my guest. After all, it would be such a cold thing to do to someone who has been alone for so long."

Elsword and Aisha were no where to be found when we got out - I would be lying if I said that didn't bother me. We knew better than to bother them so we decided to stick around Buch's place, but no one talked while we were waiting to be let back in.

Buch talked with Speka for a long time, we eventually went from pacing around his house to sitting together in tight circle on the ground - it does get a bit chilly during the night. At some point Elsword returned with Aisha, we didn't say much to them as they joined in with us. Raven was the first to fire up a light conversation, thanks to him we were able to talk and joke around with each other again. Aisha seemed much more relaxed as the conversation grew louder.

I just hope the neighbors won't mind the noise.

"I hope we return home in time for that festival in Elder!" Elsword suggests with a toothy smile. "It's been so long since we had cotton candy!"

"Cotton candy challenge?" I question. "What in the world is that?"

"It's a stupid challenge our team does every year for the festival." Aisha began explaining. "Basically we buy a whole bunch of cotton candy and see who can eat the most. Winner gets to enjoy all the festival goodies without having to pay, and of course they get bragging rights."

_I did not know humans consumed cotton. It must be a pain to digest such a thing._

"Raven here has been the champion of this challenge for three years!" Aisha nudges him with a wink. "We have a new member this year so let's see if you can keep your title."

"I'll defeat all that challenges me." He cracks his knuckle; smiling proudly at his winning streak.

"You take friendly competition way too seriously." Aisha teases.

"Elsword here always gets sick from the challenge." Raven adds on with a smirk. "Last year he was too stubborn to give up and puked all over-"

"Aisha's dress!" Eve abruptly cuts him off. She sends a small glare towards Raven, he nervously glances between Eve and Chung.

"Y-yeah," Aisha pipes in. "Do you know how expensive that dress was?!" She smacks Elsword's head. "I-I was so mad at you that day!"

"It wasn't my fault that you were standing there!" He snaps back. "Y-you spent too much money on that thing anyways."

Chung punches him roughly on the arm," she liked that dress and it took a long time for her to save up all that money." Chung seems very agitated at Elsword's remark. Which makes me wonder if he once looked at Aisha in a special way - she sure is popular.

I perk my head up at the sound of the door creaking open. Buch pokes his head out," sorry for taking so long, kids." He catches everyone else's attention. "Come back inside I will prepare something warm for everyone to eat, but please be quiet Speka has just went to bed."

"Finally I'm starving over here!" Elsword exclaims loudly while rubbing his stomach. We laugh at his remark as we help ourselves up - even Buch seems amused by his response.

"There is also much to be discussed." Buch adds on as we're making our way inside. "After we finish our warm meal I must address the information passed down from Speka."

Aisha aburptly stops; looking back she asks," what did she tell you?"

Buch's eyes soften," Speka has shared valuable information about your grandfather's mission here. She allowed me to share it with your team in hopes of tracking him down."


	25. 25

We devoured the soup Buch cooked for us within a few minutes, to say we were hungry would be an understatement. Raven and Elsword kindly volunteered to clean up after our dinner was finished. The remaining team members sat in silence as we awaited the new information Buch has obtained.

"Aisha, before I start I would like you to know one thing." Buch said sternly. Aisha replied with a small nod. "Your sister is not a bad person. I would like you to calm down and try to put yourself in her shoes, as her twin I am sure you are the only one who can truly understand her."

Aisha averts her eyes away from Buch," I'll try." She responded hesitantly while playing with her thumbs.

"On to the important note." Buch folds his hands together. "Speka did not come here to cause evil, she had two reasons to come to Bethma. One was because she sensed a strong vibe of Dark Magic in this area. Being a Dark Mage she wanted to investigate, perhaps she could find something to help strengthen her powers." Buch looked sternly at Aisha.

"The second reason was because of her grandfather. During her trip here she bumped into her grandfather, she wanted to retreat but he sensed her presence before she had time to leave."

Something sparked in immediately in Aisha's eyes,"did she attack him?" She blurt out worriedly.

"Fear not, Aisha, your sister did not lay a hand on him." Buch reassured. "He invited her to walk with him, from what she said your grandfather seemed delighted to see her again."

"Oh." Aisha mumbled; she shamefully sunk into her seat.

"Speka found it odd how he asked her about the different types of spells that can be performed with Dark Magic." Buch continued. "After telling him of all she knew her grandfather gave her a hug. He told her of how he still loves his young grand-daughter and was sorry that he was not there when everyone went against her. Long story short, Speka forgave her grandfather and agreed to visit her mother with him after he was finished his quest - according to Speka he didn't reveal much about his quest here until the end."

_How is such information important? _Eun growled. _It is a waste of our time._

'Shush, Eun, he's doing this for Aisha.'

"Before he left, her grandfather said something very strange. He told her to search for his body on the mountains, with structures imitating the lizard's lake, if he does not return after 3 days."

"So that's why she was in the village." Eve noted. "She was probably wanting to know more about these mountains and the lake."

"The lake he spoke of must be Bethma Lake," I began piecing together the bits. "But what is he referring to when he says; the mountains with structures imitating the lizard's lake?"

Buch folded his arms," here is where this old alchemist comes in handy." His once warm and welcoming tone is now replaced with a stern and serious one. "I don't normally grant warriors such a valuable piece of information, but I have seen your performance and I can say without a doubt I trust your team."

"Buch, you're referring the the dragon's location, right?" Chung asked. The elder made eye contact with him, both parties looked at each other tensely.

"It is known as the Dragon Nest." He began slowly. "A great beast covered with scorching flames resides within those mountains. Its entrance has been blocked off by a pile boulders, but I know that Dark Mage has broken into the lair."

"Then that must be where Aisha's grandfather is." Eve concluded with a yawn. Fatigue hit me at the sight of her loud yawn - I nearly forgot how tired I am today. "Will you be accompanying us on this journey?"

"I will only slow your team down. I will instead entrust your team with an ancient map, the map alone will be enough to guide you towards your target."

I scoot out of my chair, "we are honoured to be entrusted with such a valuable artifact." I bowed politely. "Rest assure we will take good care of the map."

"We will indeed!" Elsword piped in while turning off the tap. His eyes landed on Buch," I know we agreed to help search for the dragon's power; but can you tell Stella we'll help her out later? After hearing your concerns I would like to go to this Dragon Nest tomorrow. If we go we may have a good chance of taking down that mage before he gets out of hand, and we may also be able to save Aisha's grandfather."

"In that case I will prepare some potions for your team tomorrow." Buch helped himself out of his seat. "Your team should sleep for now, let me worry about your supplies." He averted his attention towards Chung. "Young man, your team will need all the help they can get, so do your best out there in the battle field."

Chungs smirked at the thought of joining us for the fight," you bet I will." He pumped his fist in the air.

Looks like the team is finally back together again.

* * *

Sleep - as usual - didn't settle well with me. Like clock work I woke up at my usual time with the usual nightmares. Seeing how everyone is still in a deep slumber I decided to take in some early morning air outside, it was also a perfect time to talk to Eun about today's plan. I'm sure Eun is fairly excited at the new hunt for the El Shard, thus willing to provide us with much help during the mission.

_I suspect the shard to be the element of fire. _Eun began once I stepped outside. _Although fire is a harmful element this shard is not considered the most dangerous one. _

'You mean there's another shard more harmful than fire?' The first El Shard was already really dangerous, I can't imagine something even worse than that.

_Indeed there is_. _There is a__ shard which must be taken seriously and must be handled with caution. Ara, when we locate this shard I ask that you stay away from it. Wait for another team mate, preferably someone who is strong emotionally and mentally, to handle it._

'Why? What makes that shard so different?' I challenged - feeling a bit agitated at Eun's low confidence in me.

_You have been scarred from the past, child. This shard digs deep into a person's soul, searching for their worst fears and weaknesses. It uses their own weaknesses against them, often sending them down a road towards insanity. I fear that you will be unable to handle your emotions when this shard uses the past against you._

'I see.' I rub my burning eyes. 'As long as I cling on to the past I'll be unable to handle that shard.'

_Correct. _

There is no way I could recover from the things I saw that day. Even if I wanted to forget, those memories will forever linger in my head.

_We will worry about this another time. _Eun quickly changed the subject. _For now we must concentrate on the mission today. I suspect the Dark Mage has not obtained the El Shard yet, if this theory is correct the dragon cannot be resurrected. We will need to put all our efforts and power into defeating him before he can find it._

'At the end of the day, we'll still need to locate that El Shard; but where would we start looking?'

_I suspect that alchemist knows where its location may be. __He is a wise lizard and could probably help relocate the Shard. _

Just as I was about the reply the wooden door creaked open, a familiar dark aura emitted from the person on the other side," I thought I sensed someone out here." Aisha's voice whispered - I knew better than it assume it was my friend.

"Speka," I moved aside - allowing her to step out. Eun and I studied her closely as she gingerly closed the door behind her. "What are you doing out here?" I asked.

"Suspecting me again eh?" She shook her head; a small smile formed on her lips. "You're just like my sister."

"Answer the question." Eun blurt out. Interest sparked in the mage's eyes at the sound of Eun's voice.

"I wonder how long you've been possessed with that demon." She thought out loud. "It must be great to have such a creature to accompany you."

Regaining control I ask," are you out here for some fresh air as well?"

Speka shrugged," I've always liked star-gazing." She tilted her head up. "The sky is much more beautiful at night."

"I know what you mean." I replied hesitantly. "You don't get to see the tiny stars during the day."

Speka smiled - an actual genuine smile," I used to drag Aisha out at night, she never liked breaking the rules, but she willingly went with me one night. I remember how happy we were when we looked up at that magical night sky and how carefree she was at the time."

Her short story hit home for me," your story reminds me of my older brother." I confess - not really knowing why I'm even opening up to her. "We used to do everything together, from star gazing to origami folding." I chuckled at the memories." He's missing now, and sometimes I really wish we could return to the simpler days. Days where we could play without a single care in the world."

"You seem to love your brother very much." Speka averted her eyes toward me. "Sometimes it's hard to believe, but I still love my family - especially my sister. It's not easy to forget all the good times we shared with one another."

"Yeah." As much as I try to push back the happy memories I can never forget them, they will always be lingering at the back of my mind.

Speka placed a hand on my shoulder," demon lady, I don't know you very well, but I know that you really cherish your older brother - you look up to him as a hero." She smiled sadly." I'm sure you'll understand what it was like the day I reunited with Aisha."

At that moment I felt something click. My eyes grew misty at the realization of Speka's thought process and emotions. Without another exchange in words Speka made her way back inside.

I am left alone, with only the twinkling stars to accompany me.

* * *

"Here are some potions to help deal with pain." Buch held up several small plastic containers with a strange pink liquid inside. "Each of you will be given a small leather bag, each one is loaded with all the potions, and water which will be needed for today's mission." The alchemist turned to me," Ara, Stella has brought your Phoru here a little while ago. It's waiting for you outside. As for Elsword, I have loaded your bag up with the map to the Dragon's Nest. Please handle it with care."

"Thanks for the supplies." Aisha replied while strapping on her leather bag. "This battle may be our final one, none of us here knows if we'll return or not, so while I am still alive I must thank you for all of your assistance. I will also apologize in advance if we come back empty handed."

"I am certain your team will do fine." Buch smiled warmly at each of us. His confidence in our team made my stomach turn, failure is no longer an option; we can't let this village down.

"We promise to put an end to all of this." Elsword piped in proudly. "Our team has been through many battles together, a simple Dark Mage won't fathom us!"

"We mustn't forget Speka will be joining us today." Eve pointed out. Aisha's eyes seem to narrow at Eve's statement. "Aisha, I ask that you will work with your sister today. For our sake and the sake of the entire village, please do not fight with one another."

"Whatever," she frowned deeply. "But if she decides to betray us I'll fight her to the death!"

I highly doubt Aisha will have the courage to kill her own sister.

"How rude of you!" Speka glares at her twin. "Thinking so lowly of me!"

"You get no say in this!" Aisha snapped back.

I fight off the urge to snap at Aisha, joining into the argument will only cause more trouble. The last thing I need is to get on Aisha's bad side.

"Chung, please be careful when you are in battle today." Buch turned his attention to Chung. "You have just recovered and I do not want you to get yourself into any more danger."

"Don't worry I'll be fine." He reassured - resting his heavy cannon on his shoulder. "Elsword, when will we be leaving?"

"We'll depart right away!" Elsword exclaimed. Everyone prepared their weapon at the sound of his statement. "Don't let your guard down, everyone! This mission will not be easy so do not run off by yourself; understood?"

"Yes, sir!" We reply in unison; but I have a feeling that order was most likely directed towards me.

Elsword smiled proudly at us, like a father admiring his grown up kids," alright team let's head out!"

Without another word we hurry out Buch's small house, Yang excitedly greeted our team as pour out of the house.

Seeing how Elsword has the map we all agreed that he will be riding on Yang. The hike through the hot rocky terrain was no walk in the park, we hiked through many dangerous paths and unstable roads. Despite the danger we were in everyone continued to laugh and talk - well mostly everyone - it was our way of coping with the stress.

"Are we there yet?" Aisha whined loudly. "I'm almost out of water!"

"Have some patience will you?!" Elsword holds the map closely to his face. "According to this we should be almost there."

"We probably got lost!" Raven grunted. "We should've got Eve or Aisha to read the map!"

"Excuse me, Raven, but I am totally capable of reading this thing!" Elsword snapped back angrily.

"Useless human." Eve joins in with crossed arms. Her drones nod in agreement.

"Not you too!"

_Your team mates are shameful. I have seen warriors more mature than them. _

'Give them a break, Eun. Everyone is tired, stressed, and frustrated. I think they should have the right to let loose some anger.'

_Their coping methods are very childish__._

I nearly fell head first onto the ground at the sudden punch on my back. Glancing back I glared icily at Chung. "Do you have some extra water?" He asked - wiping his sweat drenched forehead. "I'm already out."

"You expect me to get you water after you attacked me?" I frown; this kid is ridiculous.

He shrugged, "it was your fault for being off guard." He simply pointed out. "Now do you have water or what? I don't have all day."

Sighing I rummaged through the small leather bag," if I die of dehydration my ghost will come back and haunt you!" I pulled out the small plastic water bottle. Chung snatched it out of my hand instantly.

"Stop being so dramatic." He quickly gulps down the water. "A pest like you won't die that easily."

I can feel my face heating up from anger. This guy is a total jerk; so why do I continue to act all nice to him? It makes no sense! Shame on him for acting so rude to me and shame on me for helping him out!

_Something is wrong. _Eun's voice catches my attention. _The ground is trembling. _

I gingerly balance myself on the shaking ground, Chung and I exchange glances as the rumble gradually grew stronger.

"Watch out everyone!" Elsword screamed. Looking up ahead I gasedp at the large boulder hurdling toward us. In one swift move we each hurry out of its way, my body froze as the boulder skimmed past me. If I was an inch closer I'd be crushed.

I place my hand over my chest, feeling my heart knock back in response. I gingerly helped myself back up, at this point my legs felt like jelly; I could barely keep myself balanced.

"Is everyone okay?" Elsword called out to us loudly. We weakly respond back to his call.

"We have to proceed further with caution." Raven began while dusting himself clean. " I suspect someone may have sent that boulder flying down."

"Or it could just simply mean the rocks in this area is very unstable." Eve pointed out matter-of-factly. "We have no evidence that someone sent it down."

"Either way we have to proceed through this area quickly." Elsword ordered. He readjusts himself on Yang's saddle. "The faster we get through this the better." He briefly glanced back. "Is everyone ready?"

Aisha hopped onto her staff," let's get going!"

We each take off into a sprint. I swiftly glide past Chung and Raven, quickly catching up to Elsword along with the twin mages. A familiar tremble sounds beneath us, squinting I can make out the faint shape of another boulder hurdling towards us. We hurriedly split up, removing ourselves from the boulder's path.

"I can see someone up ahead." Aisha raises herself higher in the air. Her eyes narrow. "I can see the faint shape of a lizardman."

"It could be the Dark Mage." Speka thought out loud. She quickly hops on her staff, "I'll fly ahead and confront him." Before any of us could object she went flying off.

"That idiot." I could hear Aisha grumble under her breath. "Elsword, let's pick up the pace!"

Nodding he gestures Yang to increase its speed. I growled at the sight of the lizard ahead, even from a distance I can hear Speka and the lizard engaging in battle. Without thinking I jump high into the air, positioning my spear I unleashed my Falling Dragon attack.

I could hear Elsword cursing as I hurdled head first at the enemy," Speka, look out!" I warned. The mage quickly teleported away just as I land my attack.

"You little brat!" The lizard hit me with his sword. I quickly double back before he could land another hit on me.

_It appears this lizard has taken the place of the Dark Mage. _

I could feel my muscles weakening at the familiar foe,"I-I can't attack him." I weakly hold up my weapon. "H-he has a son waiting for him to r-return, I-I can't kill him."

A hand gently rests on my shoulder; I turned to meet Speka in the eye," if you cannot fight I will take your place." Her grip tightened around her staff. "Plasma Cutter!" Speka reached out as several laser beams rush toward the lizard. I gasp in horror as the lizard cried out in pain from the attack.

"Please stop!" I beg. "Please his son needs-"

"Just because this lizard is a father doesn't mean we can let him go!" Speka cuts me off mid-sentence. "This lizard will fight us even if we don't fight back. We don't have any other options!"

"But-"

"You should know that a kill is just part of the job!" She snapped. "If you knew the _tragic_ background of each and every foe would you spare them all? Would you allow each one to get away?"

"But this lizard is under someone's control." I weakly pointed out. "I-it would be wrong to kill him."

"It would also be wrong to just let him continue to do wrong." Speka said softly. "If it makes you feel any better, we'll just take him down. We can figure out what to do with him afterwards."

I guess that would be better than killing him. I just pray that the others won't go full out on him.

"Thanks, Speka." Without another word we spring into action.

Speka and I split up as the lizardman wildly swung his dual swords in multiple directions, making it hard to predict where his next hit will be.

"Space Wrench!" A Nasod shoots an X-shaped shock wave toward the lizardman. This gave Speka and I a chance to land an attack on him.

"Hell Stone!" With a wave of a staff Speka summoned out a one-eyed stone creature. It launches itself at the lizardman, causing continuous damage.

"Flying Kite!" I moved in an intense speed, allowing me to land multiple hits.

"Ara; Speka!" Aisha hurriedly hops off her staff. "Are you two crazy?! Jumping into a battle by yourselves!"

"Nice to know you care." Speka said with a wink. This made Aisha furious, I could see her face reddening with anger.

"Speka, you could've gotten killed by doing that! Not to mention our friend-"

"As much as I like to hear you worry about me, we're in a middle of a battle." Speka interrupted with a wink. "Tell me more about it later, sister dearest."

I glanced back to see rest of our team joining us. Elsword clenched his teeth at our foe," this lizardman." He blurt out. "Please forgive us." He jumps off of Yang's back while reaching back to grab his dual swords.

"Crescent Cut!" He sends out a crescent shaped shock wave toward the lizardman, leaving behind some serious damage.

"Get away you brats!" The lizardman flung his sword toward Elsword; knocking him down almost instantly. I hurry out of the sword's path as it crashes down like a shooting star.

"Heaven's Fist!" Eve summons out a large Nasod fist down on the lizardman. The lizardman barely misses the dangerous attack. Glaring at the Nasod Queen he launches himself towards her, with his other sword ready to pierce through his target.

"Flying Impact!" Raven hurriedly counters the attack. The lizardman brings his sword down at Raven, Raven quickly uses his own sword to stop the lizard's weapon.

Eve used this chance to attack," Illusion Ray!" She sends a beam of energy toward the lizardman. The sudden attack causes him to lose balance.

Chung hurriedly takes this opportunity to finish the battle," Dread Chase!" His army of missiles launch toward the lizardman, with one last cry of pain the lizardman falls silent.

Aisha walks toward the fallen lizardman; sneezing slightly at the cloud of dust surrounding the fallen lizardman," I can still see him breathing." She let's out another sneeze into her arm. "He's just fainted."

It's quite obvious everyone held back in their attack, especially now that we know this lizard is Lucas' father. None of us want to be responsible for his father's death, not after we've got to know the young lizard better.

"What should we do with him?" Eve questioned. She looked around the group, in hopes that one of us has an answer. "I believe no one here wishes to kill him. If so, how can we deal with him now?"

"He'll only cause havoc when reawakened, so leaving him here is not an option." Chung noted. The tone of his voice drops. "Looks like we really need to end his life."

"There must be another way." Raven tightened his fists. "

Elsword looked out at the horizon," daylight is running short. It won't be long before night hits." He frowns. "If we're really going to continue our search for the Dark Mage we need to figure out something quick."

"Is the Dark Mage even here?" I thought out loud. "For all we know he could've left Lucas' father here to distract us."

Raven groans loudly," if that's the case he must be long by now."

"Back to square one, eh?" I sigh, feeling disppointed with our work today. The thought of disappointment among the citizens of Bethma ruined my mood further. They had so much faith in us and yet we have failed to take down the Dark Mage - again.

"Not necessarily." Aisha whispered softly. All heads instantly turn towards her. "Kayak or whatever his name was must've revealed some secrets to Lucas' father. Even if he is only a puppet he must know something."

Raven shook his head," I highly doubt he'll be willing to tell us."

"He might not be willing to tell us, but we can still force the truth out of him." Aisha sheepishly looks at her twin. The tension in the air thickens as the twins stare at one another quietly. "Speka, I understand you are now a Dark Mage but you must remember the spells which was taught to you."

Speka pushes her glasses up," I forgot most of them. Natural magic is of no use to a Dark Mage." She confesses - her eyes never breaking contact with Aisha's.

Aisha's shoulder tense up, I can see she is doing her best to keep herself from losing her temper," do you remember the truth spell; where you are able to force someone spill information out?"

Speka's eyes suddenly brighten. Smiling slyly she replied," of course I remember that one. I was able to obtain so much cash thanks to it."

"The spell is a tough one." Aisha went on - ignoring Speka's previous statement. "A mage can only get so much information out at once, but the spell can last longer if there is more than one caster."

Speka's grin drops. Her cold purple eyes study Aisha carefully," are you asking for my help?" She questions bluntly.

Aisha stiffly nods," Speka, are you willing to help me perform this spell?"

Speka crossed her arms as she continues to study her sister. I exchange glances with the rest of the team, we each send the same confused and tense look to one another. After what felt like hours have passed by Speka unfolds her arms; in a quiet voice she responds.

"Yes, I will help you."

**Sorry for the late upload, I was out of town for the weekend. To make up for the late upload I'll be publishing an extra chapter today, so no cliffhangers this week!**


	26. 26

"Yes, I will help you."

"Y-you'll really help me?" Aisha blurt out; her lips forming a wide smile, a smile a child would make after reuniting with their mother in the grocery store.

"I'm not doing this for you." Speka kept her voice calm and steady. "I'm doing this because there could be a slim chance of this lizard knowing grandpa's whereabouts."

"I-I see." Aisha tries to hide her excitement with a more mono-toned voice. "W-well thanks for the help anyways." She smiled sheepishly at Speka.

Speka's eyes widen at Aisha's gesture. I can't help but smile at the spark in Speka's eyes, for once Speka appears to be shocked and even happy at Aisha's gesture. The once thick tension is now replaced with a lighter atmosphere as the sisters' hatred for one another weakens its grip.

Elsword clears his voice loudly, catching the attention for both sisters," I hate to interrupt the touching moment." Aisha and Speka roll their eyes in response. "But how do you two plan on getting some dirt out of the lizardman?" Was he listening at all?

"We'll simply be performing an old spell, once used by royal guards to force out information from prisoners." Aisha began. "You can think of it as a form of hypnosis, the victim will not recall the information they've leaked out."

"However," Speka cuts in. "This spell is not easy to perform, that is why it requires more than one caster."

"This also means the session will not last long, so you must ask the question quickly before we exhaust ourselves out." Aisha concluded. She tucks a piece of tray hair behind her ear," that'll also mean we'll be useless if that mage decides to come back."

"We'll deal with him if he does shows up." Eve reassured the sisters. "Your job is to get information out of the lizard, so please do not worry about anything else."

Speka nods," I guess we should get started." She cracked her knuckles loudly. "Don't expect me to help you further after this, Aisha." She spat her name out coldly.

Aisha's eyes narrowed slightly on Speka," don't worry, I don't plan on asking for your help ever again." And once again that thick tension between them is back. These guy can't go five minutes without getting each other upset.

"Such a shame, for a moment they seemed to have forgiven each other." I whispered softly to myself. Chung snorts loudly beside me - I send him a nasty glare in return.

"You ready?" Aisha asked her twin; she holds out her hand towards her.

Speka wraps her hand around her sister's," let's get this over with." She grunted.

Together the twins, with joined hands, turned to face the unconscious lizard. Taking a final glance toward one another they began to chant in a strange language. We instinctively take a step back as a large magic circle forms beneath the sisters and lizard. The hairs on the back of my neck rose at the amount of magic present; I can hear Yang growling at the uncomfortable change in atmosphere.

A strong current of wind circled around the casters and lizard, picking up a cloud of dust in the process. Aisha and Speka gradually raise their voices, with each word spoken the magic circle grew brighter and stronger. I squint my eyes to shield myself from the light and tornado of dust as Aisha and Speka spoke the last word; their unified voices blending into one. A shock wave abruptly hit us shortly afterwards; knocking us all down.

A tense pause follows shortly after, I quietly counted each second passing by. The silence seemed to drag on, I can picture each of my team mates shielding their eyes, waiting for someone to say something.

Finally what felt forever a soft voice sounds," it's done." One of the twins spoke weakly.

Swallowing I began to slowly squint my eyes open to see Aisha and Speka holding onto each other for balance, their hands still tightly intertwined. The lizardman is now sitting upright in the bright magic circle; his eyes staring blankly ahead.

"Did it work?" Elsword questioned in a whisper.

Aisha nodded," let's test it out." She tightens her grip on Speka's hand. Taking a deep breath in she asks, "are you Lucas' father?"

"Yes I am." The lizardman answered robotically; he seems more emotionless than Eve at this point.

The sisters exchange smiles. At the corner of my eyes I could see everyone else celebrating at the success of the spell, I couldn't help but smile along with them.

"Time to get some answers!" Elsword jumps to his feet - dusting himself off. Crossing his arms he ordered," tell us where that Dark Mage is."

Once again the lizardman replied in an emotionless voice,"he cannot be found here. He has left to find the Dragon's power."

"That's perfect!" Raven exclaims while cracking his knuckle. "We can easily ambush him when he decides to come back."

"This seems too simple." Aisha pointed out weakly - her legs shaking, Speka struggled to keep her up on her feet. It's only a matter of time before the sisters run out of energy.

"He must know where to find the Dragon's power if he just left like that. Also, why would he just leave his puppet behind? Leaving him here would easily give away the Dragon's location along with his hide out. If we never bumped into his puppet we wouldn't have been positive about the path we were taking. If this lizardman was never here we could've turned back thinking we got ourselves lost."

"Are you suggesting this may have been set up?" Eve asked; a sense of fear hit me once those words left her mouth.

"Why are you here?! Where has the Dark Mage gone to?!" Speka quickly questioned the lizardman.

"I am simply here as a decoy." I can hear Elsword cursing to himself in the background. "I was told to keep the threat busy while Kayak went to fetch an item from the village. The alchemist has something he needs for the Dragon's revival."

Speka cursed loudly as she falls to her knees, her hand breaking free from her sister's. Almost instantly the magic circle disintegrates into tiny bits of light. The lizardman's eyes roll back as he falls back into unconsciousness.

Raven angrily punches the ground," we should've left someone behind! We foolishly left the village defenceless." He continued to punch the ground.

Speka summoned out her staff. She shakily hops on, nearly losing her balance in the process.

"What are you doing?!" Aisha attempts to grab onto her arm, but her legs caved in before she could reach her sister. "You're dangerously low on magic!"

"I don't care!" Speka shot back harshly - her eyes quickly growing moist. "I'm going back first, I don't have time to stick around your team."

"No wait-" Speka hurriedly flew off before Aisha could finish talking. She lowered her head," you left me again." She mumbles to herself. "But why should I care? I hate you anyways." Her voice began to tremble.

Elsword kneels down beside her, wrapping his arms around her he whispers something in her ear. Whatever he said to her made her break down, before I knew it Aisha has her arms wrapped tightly around Elsword. He returns the gesture with a warm hug.

A familiar pain pounds in my chest, the anger I thought I overcame is slowly crawling its way back to me. I forced myself to look away from them. Chung rested his hand on my shoulder, encouraging me to stay strong and not to care.

"I-I might have enough energy to use a binding spell on him." Aisha spoke softly. She unwraps herself from Elsword," but I don't know how long I can hold."

"Don't worry about restraining him." Eve said with crossed arms. "You have done a great job already. You should rest up, Raven and I will make sure he stays unconscious."

"We should hurry back to the village." Raven picks up the lizardman with ease. "It's getting late and who knows what damage Kayak has done."

"Sounds good." Elsword agreed - he turned his attention back to Aisha. "Can you walk? Do you want me to piggyback you?"

"No, I'll just ride on Yang." She slowly helps herself up. Right on queue, Yang hurried to her side.

"Let's get going." Chung nudged me to start walking. Taking one last glance back I began my way down the path we just came from - mentally praying for the safety of everyone in the village.

* * *

The first thing I noticed was the mourning villagers standing outside of Buch's house - Lucas can be seen crying along with the crowd. A sense of guilt hits me like bricks as each villager turned to face us, some held an expression of anger while others could do nothing but cry.

"It's all your fault!" One of the lizardmen spat.

"Honey, don't be so harsh. They tried their best to save us."

"Buch is dead because of them! They're the reason he's dead!"

Stella abruptly stepped out of the house, with hands on her hips she began loudly," is that how you treat the team who is dong everything they can to save us?!" The crowd froze at her booming voice. "Yes, Buch is dead and yes the Elder is dead; however, everyone else can still be saved because of them."

"They should've tried harder!"

"They're too weak!"

"We're all doomed!"

Each insult hit me like a knife. The thought of being powerless, helpless, and weak brought me down further. I've trained hard to fight and protect, and yet here I am today. Weak and powerless to the mage who has tormented this village.

"Enough!" Stella interrupted loudly - quieting the crowd almost instantly. "Each and every one of you are to return home! No one is allowed to step out of the house, and if anyone has objections they will need to report to me in my office!" She scanned the crowd, waiting - daring someone to say something.

The crowd grumbled angrily to one another as they retreated from Buch's house. I couldn't help but look away as Lucas set his eyes on the unconscious lizard in Raven's arm. The guilt I felt earlier is now growing, like an uncontrollable wild fire.

"Daddy!" Lucas cried out loudly. "Daddy! Daddy please answer me!"

I can hear the small lizard running toward us. I clenched my fists, fighting back the urge to break down into a blubbering fool.

"Wow there little man." I can picture Chung stopping him in his path. "He's not safe at the moment, he's still under Kayak's control."

"But he's my daddy! I miss my daddy - I want to be with my daddy again!" He cries out desperately. "Please let me see him! I'll give you anything! Please, please let me be with him again." I glance back to see Lucas falling to his knees. "Please." He begged shakily.

"Lucas," Stella sits herself beside the crying child. "I understand you miss him, but you must understand he is not himself. You can see him once he's safely locked up, okay?"

Lucas wraps his arms around Stella," I really miss daddy." He turned his head to face me. I could feel my legs turn to jelly as he spoke his next words," why aren't you strong enough to save him?"

I nearly lost it. All I could do was shake my head as I shakily wiped my eyes dry. Yang nuzzles my leg softly, as if its trying to say everything will be okay. I could faintly hear Aisha comforting me, but my thoughts and old memories overpowered her soft voice - leaving me alone to relive the time I hid in that closet.

"Buch and Speka is inside." Stella helped herself up, with Lucas in her arms. "I'm going to put him to bed first, Raven, can you wait for me in my office?"

"Alright," he spoke quietly. "You guys should see how Speka is doing."

"Okay, take it easy, man." Elsword pats Raven on the back. "Come on guys let's get going."

My legs remained planted as my team began their way back. I desperately tried to shake the old memories away, not wanting to walk back in while my past is playing like an endless movie in my head.

"You okay?" Chung's voice abruptly sounds beside me. I shake my head, not bothering to look at him. "I understand it's hard to know we have failed to save his father, all of us feel pretty terrible at this point."

"Y-yeah." I bit my bottom lip. "C-can you help me get to Buch's place? I-I don't think I can walk myself there." I could careless about my hate for him, all I need now is for someone to help me out - even if he's the one helping me.

Chung sighed," you owe me big time after this." He gently lifts me up in his arms - like that time in Elder. I rest my head against him, I stared blankly into the distance; forcing the past memories out of my head.


	27. 27

Before Chung and I walked inside, I prepared myself for the possible damage Kayak could've done to Buch. Even from the outside I could hear someone crying loudly. I scrunched my nose at the scent of blood oozing out from the ajar door.

Breathing in deeply I forced myself inside to see everyone crowded around in the kitchen area. I study the house carefully while making my way to the crowd. Chairs are tipped, potions are left broken and spilled on the floor, and various furniture is thrown on its side or completely destroyed.

As I approached closer I can make out the blood splatters on the walls, and the bloody kitchen knife resting on one of the wooden counters. Clenching my teeth tightly I joined my friends, something inside of me died at the sight of the dead alchemist.

His clothes are ripped and stained with his blood, his left arm is twisted in a strange angle while his other arm rests across his stomach. Speka is knelled beside him, her hand stroking the dead alchemist's face. I let a tear escape from my eye at the sight of our dead ally, the one who had so much faith in us is now dead. Who is truly to blame in this situation, us; or Kayak?

"I'm so sorry we couldn't protect you." Speka bawled. "I should've stayed here to protect you." She added on trembling.

"None of us knew this would happen." Aisha spoke weakly while trying to keep her balance. "We wouldn't think this would've happened."

Speka turned to face her sister, anger painted her face," that doesn't mean we should've left him alone! He's dead because we did nothing to protect him! We should've known better!"

"We were too focused on finding Kayak; admit it, not even you would've imagined something like this happening." Aisha kept her voice calm and quiet.

Speka cursed at her," how can you be so calm? Can't you understand he's dead now?! He's the one who gave your team a place to sleep, food to eat, and the location to the Dragon's Nest or whatever it was called! How can you be so heartless to brush this off?!"

Now it was Aisha's turn to raise her voice," I do care! Unlike you I'm being mature about all of this! You're acting like a little kid, Speka, screaming and getting angry won't fix anything. It won't help us find Kayak and it won't bring Buch back to life!"

"I'm being immature about this?" Speka laughed at her sister's statement. "I have every right to scream and get angry over this!"

"Can you stop being selfish for five minutes?!" Aisha shot back. "Stop screaming and respect the dead! Stop attracting attention to yourself. It's always about you, you never care about anyone else! You don't have the right to attract attention towards yourself here! Stop blaming others, stop acting like the victim! Grow up and accept the fact that you're the reason that you've been kicked out of the family!"

My jaw dropped at what Aisha just said; Aisha didn't seem to regret what she had said. I looked around to see my team mates sharing a similar expression. We each take a step back from Aisha, we braced ourselves for a fight break out between the sisters.

With clenched fists Speka helped herself up, her eyes narrowed at her twin," you don't know a single thing about me, so don't you dare go making assumptions like that!" She spat.

Aisha crosses her arms," I know you like the back of my hand!" She began. "You've always caused trouble! I remember that smirk on that face when you betrayed us, I remember that stupid little smile you had the day you broke our hearts; Speka, I can read you like a book!"

"Shut up!" Speka pushed Aisha roughly - Elsword hurriedly caught her before she could fall. "You may be my twin but you do not know me! We may look alike, and we may have the same blood running through our veins, but we are strangers! You never tried to understand me; you were never there for me!"

"Speka," Aisha frees herself from Elsword's grip. "We were always there for you. We kept you away from Dark Magic because we cared for you, we taught you natural magic because we loved you."

"You and your family loved me?" Speka shook her head in disbelief; at this point she could no longer hide the hurt in her voice.

"So I'd constantly get compared to someone else because you guys cared for me; I'd constantly get yelled at for not understanding a spell because you guys are there for me, and I'd get kicked out from my own family for learning a form of magic, that I love and understand, because you guys love me?" She laughed at her sister's logic.

"Speka-"

"No one was ever there for me, no one has ever showed me compassion and love!" Speka went on loudly. "I was always alone, always stuck in your shadow; always a failure to the family! No one ever told me I was worth it, it was always you! You were always better than me, you were the one who fit in; you're the daughter mother has always wanted!"

Speka took her glasses off to wipe her tears," do you think I enjoyed being compared to everyone else; do you really think I felt happy when your family kicked me out?" She challenged; Aisha opened her mouth to respond but Speka went on.

"I wasn't happy because I liked watching everyone's heart break, I was happy because I could finally show off something I was truly good at. When mother and grandpa kicked me out I looked at you." Her voice softened." Do you remember when I made eye contact with you? Do you remember the tears building up in my eyes; do you remember the cry for help I was sending you?"

"I-I-" Aisha struggled to get an answer out.

Speka's legs caved in, she didn't attempt to stop herself from falling to the ground. A small smile forms on her lips," I used to think I could trust you. You never pushed me away when I told you about my adventures out in the streets, I thought you loved me. I thought I could turn to you when times got tough; even if everyone else was against me. Of course I was wrong. You just stood there, watching me like I was some animal in a zoo. That day I understood I was never loved, I was never wanted; no one wanted me around."

"Speka," Aisha whimpered. She sits herself down as Speka went on.

"I was so lonely. I couldn't stay in town, I feared you guys would just hunt me down and kill me, so I had to leave all my street friends behind. I fought by myself, I comforted myself; I had no one but myself to be with! I trained hard each day in hopes of defeating you and taking my revenge. However, I could never stop caring and missing my big sister. How could I hate someone who I cared so much for before?"

"The day I saw grandpa I felt happy, happy that he welcomed me back as his grand-daughter. I worried about him so I decided to come to this village to get more details of where he could be. Obviously I bumped into you, and as much as I wanted to send you to death I couldn't bring myself to complete the job. I hated how I couldn't kill you; how I still loved someone who never cared for me."

"When Buch took me in I felt uncomfortable at first, but he showed me he really cared." Speka smiled. "He never gave up on me, he stayed by my side to make sure I was okay. No one has ever done that, and for once I felt accepted and loved." She punches the ground. "Of course I have every right to scream and get angry. The only one who has stayed by me, to show me kindness; to not leave me alone is now dead. I have no one again. I'm all alone."

Aisha, along with everyone else, is left speechless at Speka's story. We watched in silence as she bawls loudly on the floor, none of us daring to say a word to her - only Aisha can fix the situation.

Finally, after what felt like hours have passed by, Aisha spoke up," Speka," she gingerly scoots closer to her sister. "I-I understand if you still hate me, I've been a pretty bad big sister." She confessed. "We're twins and yet we are so distant to one another."

She cups her hand on Speka's cheek," I'm so sorry I left you all alone. I never knew you went through so much, if you'd told me earlier I would've helped; I would've stood up for you." She began to tremble. "I should've stood up for you that day, because you're my baby sister, my twin; I knew you better than anyone. It was all my fault I'm so sorry, Speka, I'm so sorry."

Speka's eyes widen at her confession, I could see the obvious shock and denial painted on her face.

Aisha gently wipes her sister's tears," my sweet baby sister, I am so very sorry for the pain I caused you all these years; can you ever forgive me? Can you ever forgive me for leaving you alone; for abandoning you when you needed me the most?"

Speka cries harder at the sound of her sister's apology. Shakily she said," A-Aisha, I'm so sorry for making mother and everyone else heartbroken. I-I'm so sorry for making you see that."

"I forgive you." Aisha cried - she pulls Speka into a tight hug. "I missed my beloved baby sister so very much."

"Aisha," Speka returns the hug - she cries loudly in Aisha's shoulder. "I forgive you. I-I can't hate you, it hurts so much to hate you."

"I know." Aisha kisses Speka's head. "I love you so much, and I won't abandon you ever again; I promise."

* * *

Seeing how Aisha and Speka has finally reunited - properly - we decided to cut them some slack and allowed the sisters to have some bonding time while we did the cleaning. It'd not only be a nice gesture for Buch, but we can easily figure out what was taken by Kayak.

Stella dropped by at one point and took care of Buch's body, she invited us to his funeral arranged tonight. Although none of us wanted to watch as they burned his body to ashes we agreed to go, it'd be rude to not attend the funeral.

Cleaning was a bit easier once the body was gone. Before Stella dropped in no one dared to go near the kitchen, we avoided that area like the plague. Although it isn't any easier for us now to clean up the blood stains.

"I may have figured out what was stolen." Eve spoke up while rearranging a book shelf. "Looking around I noticed the Elder's necklace has disappeared."

"Are you saying the dragon's power may be a part of that necklace?" Raven piped in as he swept up the broken glass.

"It could be a possibility." Eve thought out loud. "We were told the power was sealed away by an alchemist, so it would make sense for the alchemist to entrust the dragon's power to someone like a village elder."

"If that is the case we don't have much time." I joined in. I can feel Eun bursting with energy, readying us for the final battle. "If the Elder's necklace has what Kayak is looking for then we don't have much time to spare."

"This could also be one of Kayak's traps." Aisha pointed out - Speka nodded in agreement. "He could be messing with us and we may lose another life because of that."

"I don't think this village can take another lose." Speka adds on.

"Do you really want to take the chance though?" Chung challenged. He throws his feather duster down," yes, we fell straight into Kayak's trap but if the necklace is the key to the dragon's power we need to do something."

"We can also call Echo over for some help," Eve suggested. "She may be a small alchemist, but she's got a few tricks up her sleeves."

I glanced out the window," it's almost sundown." I announced with a frown. "Echo would take forever to get here."

"That isn't a problem anymore!" Aisha summons out her staff. "Now that I've been to Bethma I can easily teleport to Ruben and back!"

"Perfect!" Elsword gives her a thumbs up. "Inform Lowe about our current situation as well, I'm sure he'd want to know what we're up against."

"Got it!" Aisha holds her staff up high. A bright light surrounds her before she disappears from the room. If only she had been to Bethma before, it'd make our trip here much easier.

"So what's our plan of attack?" I ask Elsword.

He scratched his head while pondering through his many ideas," I definitely think we should go as a group to confront Kayak. Yes, I know it's a risk, but this is a risk we must take. There's too many variables in this situation, and I don't want the village to be in any more danger."

No one responds, we're all still trying to figure out if this is the right decision. Although it would be nice to go as a group, I don't think that's the best idea. Who knows what might happen if we leave the village alone? What other tragedies might take place during our absence?

"I'll finalize our plan after the funeral." Elsword runs his hand through his hair. "For now we should put our attention towards Buch. We need to show respect to our fallen comrade."

A sense of nausea hits me at the thought of Buch's dead body, the old memories creep back into my mind as I recall his lifeless body. The urge to cry overwhelms me at the thought of how helpless we were; how we could do nothing to save him - just like that time.

Needing to escape I hurry out the house without another thought; ignoring Elsword's call from behind.

Yang tilts its head at me the moment I stepped outside. I instinctively rushed to the phoru's side. Without another thought I bury my face in its fur and began to cry. Letting out all the hurt I went through today, letting out all the anger and fear I had when I saw Buch's dead body; letting out all the frustration held inside me at how helpless we were.

I don't know how long I sat there crying, everything went by in a blur. I didn't snap back to reality until Yang nudged my cheek. I slowly began to calm myself down, smiling at its gentle gesture I gave it a small kiss on the head," sorry for wetting your fur." I apologized to it in a whisper. "Thanks for not leaving though."

"So you thank the phoru but not me?" I gasped at the sudden voice sounding across from me. My face warmed with embarrassment at the sight of Chung sitting cross-legged across from me. "You sure do cry a lot." He commented.

"Shut it!" I snap at him rudely. "You don't just sit there and watch someone cry." What a creep!

He shrugged," I don't see a problem with that." I stuck my tongue out at him in response. "How mature of you." He raises a brow.

"What do you want?" I grumbled angrily - looking away to avoid eye contact.

"I'm here to see what's going on with you." He scoots his way over to me. I frowned deeply once he sat himself beside me - why can't he just leave me alone? "So what's up? Why are you crying alone out here?"

"I just needed to be alone." I mumbled my answer - hoping he wouldn't hear me.

"That's it?" If Chung was a therapist he'd get fired on the first day.

I shook my head," I was remembering some things." I confessed while playing with my fingers - hoping I'm doing the right thing. "I'm sick of seeing all these deaths, everywhere I go I either see or remember the death of someone I hold dear. I'm sick and tired of all these killings!"

Chung remained quiet as I angrily ran my fingers through my hair. The memories flashed through my mind, forcing me to experience that day over and over again.

"Look, I don't know what you've been through," Chung began. His usual harsh and sarcastic tone now replaced with a gentle and understanding one. "But everything will be okay. We'll avenge his death - everyone's death." He hesitantly wrapped his arm around me; I would call him a creep but right now I'll accept anyone's comfort. "This blubbering fool isn't the stubborn and annoying girl I know."

I couldn't help but laugh at his remark; note to self, punch Chung later for calling me annoying.

"You're much stronger than this, I know that." His grip around me tightens. "Don't mourn alone. Buch was a good friend of ours, and everyone is hurting equally as you. So come back inside so we can all mourn together, okay?"

A large smile formed on my lips at his company. Who knew Chung could be so caring? I surely didn't, heck he's so nice I'm starting to doubt if he's the same guy I've always argued with," you aren't ever going to be this nice, right?"

"Yup." He agreed almost instantly. "This is kind of making me sick to my stomach."

Never mind, he's definitely the same annoying brat. Sighing I leaned against his shoulder, ignoring the fact that I'll need to owe him big time after this," thanks for the help." I said with a toothy grin.

"You're going to have to give me all your meals after this." He snorts, returning to his usual self.

"I know." I closed my eyes. "I don't mind though."

I can already imagine him rolling his eyes," you better not act all nice and fluffy from now on." He grumbled - probably with a frown. "It's too weird."

"Same goes for you." I replied - elbowing him in the stomach.


	28. 28

**I forgot to mention, "Human by Danielle Bradbery", was the song for the last chapter. I thought the song fit best for the two sisters. That is all, you may continue with the chapter now :P**

Aisha returned with Echo a few minutes before the funeral started. After informing Lowe about our current situation he sent several Red Knights over to give us a hand; Echo brought all the supplies we'd need for the fight in an old backpack. This gave Elsword more options for the plan of attack, we all wanted to pitch in and help him plan but he insisted we attend the funeral. None of us argued with this order, we knew it'd be the right thing to do.

As much as I hate to admit it, I stayed by Chung throughout the funeral. Watching as they placed Buch's body into a fire made me feel uncomfortable, and despite him being dead I still had the urge to jump in and save him; I guess I still can't accept the fact that he's gone now. Chung helped keep me calm and would help lift the mood slightly with his usual sarcastic remarks.

Elsword wanted us to return early from the funeral, he wanted to discuss his plan; he also told us it may be put into action tonight. To be honest I felt pretty bad for leaving, it felt like we didn't want to stay to bid Buch a proper good-bye.

On our way out I could hear the angry murmurs of the mourning villagers, most of them were angered by our early leave while others blamed us for Buch's death. How Elsword and the others can brush off these comments is beyond me; I can't help but feel guilty for his death.

Echo quietly greeted us as we walked back into Buch's house, the addition Red Knights apologized for our loss while we settled ourselves down. A huge wave of fatigue hit me once I sat myself down on the damaged couch, my eye lids struggled to keep themselves open.

If Elsword plans on attacking tonight we may be all screwed, most of us are dead tired and would do anything to get some sleep.

Elsword clears his voice loudly," I understand today has been rough." He began tiredly. "A majority of you guys are tired, and that's understandable. However, Kayak may have the key to awakening the dragon and he will not hesitate to release the beast late at night."

"If you're suggesting us to fight tonight then I'm out." Raven interrupted - he rests his head on his hands. "I can barely keep my eyes open; how can you expect me and half of the team to fight?"

Elsword opened his mouth to debate but Echo quickly cut him off," that's why I'm here"-She gestured proudly to herself-"I may be small, but I'm a pretty awesome alchemist! I can create something to take care of that fatigue of yours." She turns to Chung. "Chung, can you help me prepare the potions?"

"No problem." He replied with a loud yawn. Helping himself up he made his way over to help Echo. "Just keep talking, Elsword. I can multitask."

"Alright, man." He sends Chung a smile. Turning his attention back to us he went on," last time we did not know of Kayak's plan and that resulted in the death of our friend." He paused to let us recollect our thoughts.

"Now that we have extra team mates we can have people protect the village and fight the real culprit." Elsword went on; his eyes averted to the additional Red Knights. "Buch entrusted my team with the location of the dragon, so my party will take care of him. Everyone else is in charge of patrolling the village, you guys will need to stay alert. This Dark Mage is not someone whom you should underestimate."

"Understood." The addition members replied in unison.

"As for my team, you guys will need to be extra cautious. We all know what Kayak is capable of; knowing this fact, we should stick together throughout the fight." He stops his pacing. "If he awakens the dragon we will need to split up. One team will face the mage while the other will face the dragon."

"I will take on the mage." Eve volunteered almost instantly. "I must question him about the Nasods he used on us." She clenched her fists tightly.

"In that case I will join her." Raven piped in.

Elsword nods," Ara, I ask that you and Yang join them as well." He looked at the remaining members. "Everyone else will fight the dragon with me. This battle will be fairly dangerous, we will not know how strong the dragon will become and what our battle field will be like. Someone may not make it out alive, death is not a low possibility in this fight."

_Will you be okay?_

'I'll be fine, Eun.' I played with a loose strand of hair. 'This is a fight I must participate in. For Buch, the Elder, and everyone else who has suffered in this lizard's hands.'

_Very well. I will take over if you cannot take the pressure. _

"We've got to fight!" Aisha summoned out her staff. "We need to avenge all the families which have been broken because of this lizard."

"Grandpa is still out there." Speka added on. "We need to make sure he's okay." Aisha nodded in agreement.

Echo clapped her hands together," looks like everyone is all fired up to fight." She gestured Chung to give us the strange purple coloured drink. "These potions may not taste wonderful but they work a hundred times better than coffee."

"They'll gradually take effect, so don't be surprised if you're still a bit sleepy after taking it." Chung concluded as he hands out the remaining potions. "You probably won't feel great after they wear off, so don't drag the fight on for too long."

My stomach turned uncomfortably at the strange scent given off by the purple liquid; I shivered at the thought of its taste. Why do they always have to make potions taste bad? Why can't potions taste like juice or something sweet?

Taking a deep breath in I forced myself to drink the potion, cringing at its sour taste.

"It tastes like rotten milk." Aisha complained loudly.

"This is nothing compared to the potions I've tried before." Speka said with a shiver.

"Suck it up you guys." Echo puts her hands on her hips. "Think of it like medicine. Sure it doesn't taste that great but it's good for you."

"Good for us eh?" Raven asked as he finished off the rest of his potion. "Care to tell us what you put in here?"

Echo smiled sheepishly," some things are best to be left a mystery."

I put my hand over my mouth, trying everything I can to keep myself from vomiting the potion back out. I could see a couple of my friends mimicking the same action.

Echo rummaged through her backpack as we finished off the rest of the potion," I brought over some extra potions, flashlights,and of course a first aid kit"-she began while pulling out the supplies-"since I won't be joining you someone will have to be in charge of giving out medical care."

Elsword raised his hand," I can take on that roll. I can carry all of that in my backpack."

"Alright thanks, Elsword." Echo replied while setting the supplies aside. "If things get too crazy feel free to come back, I can deal with the more sever injuries."

Hopefully nothing gets too out of hand, I thought to myself.

My palms grow sweaty as the hour of the final battle approaches closer. I've never felt nervous about fighting before-even when I had to take on Camilla, perhaps I'm just scared to witness any more deaths, I doubt I can stay sane if I see another person's corpse.

"Everyone done drinking the potion?" Elsword asked- his face turning a bit pale.

"Unfortunately," Aisha wiped her mouth clean.

"If that's the case"- Elsword pulled out his dual swords-"let's get going."

Stella stepped aside from the funeral to bid us good bye, despite our failure to capture Kyak earlier she still has full faith in us. Needless to say, Lucas didn't come with her; but who can blame him? If it were me I wouldn't want to see us either; after all, we failed to break his dad free from the spell- he had so much faith in us too.

The additional members proceeded to start their patrol as we took our leave. Just as Echo promised the potion we took earlier gradually took effect. My fatigue grew weaker as we proceeded closer to the dragon's location. Unfortunately, the potion did not protect us from the cold, the robes Buch gave us was doing nothing to shield us from the cold evening wind.

"Are we lost?" Raven asked Elsword- probably with a glare.

Elsword shined his flashlight towards Raven," be quiet I'm trying to concentrate." He snapped back angrily.

"So we are lost."

Elsword shook his head while readjusting his backpack," no, we should be almost there." He shined his flashlight back on the map.

"I don't know about this, Elsword." Aisha piped in. "I don't remember that rock being there before."

"You're just being paranoid." Elsword replied with his eyes remaining on the map. "Don't worry, I'm the leader here I'll get us all there in one piece."

Speka face palms," we're all going to die tonight." She blurt out.

"Aisha, stop being so negative!" Elsword shined his light on Aisha.

"That was my sister, stupid!" She corrected angrily- hitting him on the head with her staff.

"Don't blind my sister with that flashlight, idiot!" Speka slaps the back of Elsword's head.

"Shall I slap the human as well?" Eve piped in; preparing herself to slap Elsword.

Elsword opened his mouth to respond but Chung cut him off," we should beat up our leader _after _we complete the mission." He suggested sternly. "We should focus on finding this dragon first."

_Ara, I am concerned about your safety. I do not believe these people can keep you safe._

'They're strong and smart, Eun.' I respond with a small smile. 'Even though they're always joking around I know they can protect us.'

_If you say so. _Eun sounded hesitant. _Don't blame me when they fail to keep us safe. _

'Don't worry they'll-' I paused at the sudden shock wave passing us. Although it is not very strong I could still sense the strong magic aura that came along with it. Looking around I could see the twins on high alert.

"Speka," Aisha placed a hand on her shoulder. "Did you feel that?"  
Elsword and the others came to a halt once those words left Aisha's mouth.

"The shock wave." Speka said with clenched fists. "I'm concerned about the magical aura that came along with it."

I tighten my grip on Yang's saddle," I felt it too." That caught the sisters' attention. Everyone else exchanged worried glances. "W-what if Kayak has already begun awakening that dragon?" I added on shakily.

"We need to hurry there." Speka quickly snatched the map out of Elsword's hand. Ignoring his complaints she hands me the piece of paper. "You can see in the dark, correct?" I nodded. "You can move faster with that Phoru; can you lead us there?"

"I can try." I scanned the surrounding area, trying to pinpoint our location on the map. Shivers run down my spin at the familiar shock wave passing by.

"Hurry we don't have much time!" Aisha exclaimed; her voice ringing with distress.

"I'm trying!" I snapped back- running my hand through my hair. Taking a couple more glances between the map and the area around us I finally place my finger on our location. "Okay I got it!"

"Lead the way." Speka said while hopping onto her staff. Aisha mimicked her sister's actions.

"Yang, I need some fire." I ordered. I tighten my grip as Yang raised itself on its hind legs, the Phoru slammed its front paws onto the ground causing fire to ignite around ys. "It'll be easier for you guys to see us." I briefly explain.

"We should've done this earlier! The fire would've kept us all warm and toasty." Elsword whined like a child.

I simply roll my eyes at his response. "Alright, let's move out!" Without another word Yang broe off into a fast sprint.

Multitasking between the map and guiding us along the right path brought upon a lot of stress. I nearly crashed us into a pile rocks along the journey, if it weren't for Aisha and Speka flying shortly behind me we would've ran into many rocks and walls.

"I can see it!" Speka announced loudly.

Looking up I smiled at the familiar structures just ahead of us. The following shock wave could be felt by a strong tremble; I slowed Yang down as a result," I can sense something dangerously strong just ahead!" I pointed ahead.

"We barely made it in time." Aisha said smiling. "Thank goodness we decided to attack tonight. Who knows what would've happened if we stayed back at the village?"

I held onto Yang as another Earth shaking shock wave passed by. Eun growled loudly at the immense power radiating from just ahead.

"I've never felt so much magic in one place." Speka whispered.

"I have." Aisha responded. I exchange glances with her," Ara, do you think its a shard?"

I swallowed," if it is then we're in trouble." I could feel my heart beat quickening at the potential danger we've put ourselves in. "Chung and I could barely manage Wally's Nasod, I can't even begin to imagine how we'll manage an entire dragon."

At the corner of my eyes I could see Speka sending us all sorts of confused looks. Aisha quietly promised to fill her in, in response.

"Can you guys slow down?" Elsword called out panting. Everyone else followed tiredly behind him. "We can't run as fast as your Phoru!"

"Elsword, I think we may be dealing with a shard." Aisha said bluntly. Elsword's eyes widened at the information. "You'll need to be careful with that backpack." She warned; eyeing his old backpack.

"Oh right! I forgot we had an El Shard in there." Elsword acknowledged in a hushed whisper. "We should've left it back with Echo."

"It's too late now." I averted my attention back to the structures up ahead. "Just make sure you keep that thing hidden, Kayak is already at work in there."

Thick tension surrounds the team as another shock wave shook the ground. Eun growled at the faint light shimmering from the distance.

_So that is where this dragon has been sealed away in. _

"Can you guys see the faint light over there?" I point towards the far end of the structures. The team gathers around me to get a better look.

"That's our target; isn't it?" Raven asked in a low voice.

"It must be where Kayak is." I drew out my spear. "We gotta hurry! He's probably reawakening the dragon by now!"

"Alright team," Elsword began in a whisper. "This is where the final battle will be. Stay alert and don't wander off by yourself. Keep your eyes on your team mates, I don't want any of us to end up as dragon food; understood?"

"Yes, sir!" We responded in unison. Each of us readying to give up our lives to avenge the ones who have fallen under this lizard's spell.

Elsword smiled proudly at our response," let's move out team!"


	29. 29

My stomach twisted into tight knots as we approached closer to the Dragon's Nest, the shock waves growing stronger each time. Eun spoke softly to me throughout the trip, calming me and reassuring me of our success. Despite Eun's efforts I still can't shake off the fear lingering in my mind; but how can you blame me? This mission has death written all over it.

"I can see the entrance!" Aisha pointed toward the dim lighting ahead.

"It's time, everyone!" Elsword picks up his speed. "The final battle is here! I wish everyone the best of luck!"

I growl at the large amount of magic emitting from the entrance. All my senses screamed out danger as we enter the scorching cave. Upon entering I knew this battle will not be easy, the battle field will no doubt cause trouble.

The Dragon Nest is not a battle field to underestimate. There is nothing here that can hold you back from falling into the lake of magma, geysers are scattered throughout the little ground we have; randomly spitting out fire. We decreased our speed to carefully navigate around the obstacles.

_He is here._

Looking forward I could see the Dark Mage waving his staff around in one hand, the Elder's necklace sat in the other. Speka and Aisha hopped onto their staff and proceeded ahead of us; both itching to take their revenge on Kayak.

"Foolish mages!" Swiftly turning around Kayak summoned out a wave of fire toward them. The twins hurriedly dodge the attack.

"Your time is up, Kayak!" Aisha hops off her staff- getting into a fighting stance. "You've caused enough trouble."

"We have a lot of questions to ask you!" Speka demanded; unlike Aisha she stayed on her staff. "Where is our grandfather?"

Kayak smiled wickedly at the sisters, we quickly positioned ourselves behind the mages. I prepared my spear, readying myself for a surprise attack.

"You two must be the grand-daughters he spoke so highly of!" He laughed. Aisha and Speka tensed at his response.

Kayak's eyes widened with excitement, "he told me you two would reunite and work together to defeat me. I thought it was a joke; how could a Dark Mage and an Elemental Master get along?" He paused- in a quiet voice he adds on," if he was still here I bet he would've been proud of you two."

Kayak brought his hand up, jingling the bone made bracelet on his wrist. I covered my mouth in disgust at his gesture, this seemed to please the lizard.

A brief pause followed shortly after, we all watched in silence as the twins processed the new information. Speka was the first to act up; jumping off her staff she sent a fire ball at Kayak," what did you just say?!" She cried out angrily.

Kayak was pushed back from the impact- nearly knocking him in the magma. "What did you do to our grandpa?!" Speka fumed.

Kayak smirked at her enraged state," I just helped him out a bit." He replied innocently; readjusting his footing on the ground." Don't worry the old man is free from pain now."

"Kayak, I'll rip you apart!" Speka sent a hurdling Hell Stone at him - he quickly teleports out of the way, causing the Hell Stone to run into the magma.

"Calm down, Speka!" Aisha pulled her sister back. "We need to fight as a team!"

Kayak claps loudly at Aisha's remark," well aren't you a cute one?" He holds up the Elder's necklace. "Unfortunately, I don't have time to play with you kids. I've come this far and I won't let some kids stop me."

_He's going to break the seal! _ Eun warned.

I hopped off of Yang with my spear ready," we need to get that necklace away from him!" I exclaim- everyone hurriedly prepares their weapon.

"Surface Cutting!" Eve launches the first attack; she summons a Nasod to attack the mage.

Kayak slams his staff on the ground, sending Eve's Nasod back with a powerful shock wave. Closing his eyes he began to chant in a strange language, a lone orange bead on the necklace emitted a dim red light in return.

"Hurry we don't have much time!" Elsword stammered; charging at Kayak with both swords. "Phantom Sword!" He creates a large mimic of his sword just as he delivers an blow on Kayak.

Elsword cursed loudly the instant his swords came in contact with a invisible barrier. He quickly doubled back," come out from that barrier and fight us you coward!" He ordered angrily. "Come out and fight!"

"Talking won't get us anywhere, Elsword." Aisha holds up her staff. "We'll have to try and break that barrier!" Her magic circle forms beneath her. "Lightning Shower!" The ground trembled as Aisha calls forth lightning strikes; each on hitting the barrier with tremendous power.

"Dread Chase!" Chung launches his attack once the lightning strikes has ceased.

"Phantom Breathing - Dark Fall!" Speka summons out a small bat-like creature. Opening its mouth the bats releases an ominous dark wave on the barrier.

"Moonlight Slash!"

"Shockwave - Cutter!"

Raven and I launched our attacks together. Elsword and Eve hopped in to relieved the final blows," Crescent Cut!" Elsword shouted.

"Space Wrench!" Eve exclaimed.

Their unified attacks merged into one- we could clearly see Kayak flinching as their attack launches itself on his barrier.

"We're almost through!" Elsword sprints towards the lizard. "Come on guys one more blow and this guy is done for!"

At that moment Kayak snaps his eyes open, the illuminating bead sends out a powerful shock wave- sending everyone flying back. Eun growled angrily at the familiar amount of magic present; I cursed under my breath at the bright bead gripped tightly in Kayak's hand.

"The seal is broken." Kayak said in awe. He holds up the glowing bead, its magic pulsing throughout the battle field. "The amount of magic present here is amazing! No magician could ever have the same amount of power as this bead!"

_No he has broken the seal! _

"I won't let you revive that dragon!" I helped myself up on my feet. "Kayak, I will defeat you right here right now!"

"No, Ara, don't go!" Raven cried out from behind- I chose to ignore him.

_Child, please reconsider your actions! _Eun joined in.

'I _need _to do this, Eun! Please just help me!'

_Very well, but please be careful. _Eun comforted me with its warm aura. _I do not want something to happen to you, Child._

'Don't worry, Eun. We'll be fine.'

I take off into a sprint, with my eyes glued onto my prey. Kayak sent a wave of fire toward me, I hurriedly dodged by leaping high into the air," Falling Dragon!" I launched myself toward Kayak- he quickly dodged the attack.

"Suppression!" Eun launches the next attack- Kayak is forced down to the ground as a result.

"Force S-" Before I could successfully launch my attack Kayak encircles himself with a ring of fire. I quickly double back.

"I'll admit it, you're a strong warrior, child." The ring of fire grows stronger. "However, you do not stand a chance against me."

_Run!_

I spring away from Kayak just as he sends a path of fire towards me," you're not getting away!" The bead- which I know is an El Shard, in his hand glows brightly as he launches fire balls towards me. I try to step a side but his attack is too fast- I cry out in pain upon impact. My body flew limply into a burning geyser.

I clenched my teeth in pain at the fire burning my body, I tried to squirm away but the pain followed wherever I went. Someone abruptly swooped me into their arms- taking me away from the burning fire, but I could still feel the pain left behind by the flames. My hero gently laid me down, I couldn't help but wince as my burned skin made contact with the ground.

"Hey, wake up!" A muffled voice cried out to me- I'm too dazed to give a face to the voice. "Come on, don't die on me now!"

_Ara, you must live! _A warm aura surrounds me. _You still have much to do! _

"I need a spell or something to heal her!"

"Isn't there a potion here that can help?" A new voice joined in. "Can't you quickly make a potion for her?"

"It'd take too long!"

Why can't they keep their voices down? I'm already in enough pain, the last thing I need is a headache.

"I-I'll guess I can try to heal her, but it may not work!"

"It's better than nothing."

The new voice began chanting, I relaxed at the cool sensation enveloping me and my aching body. Almost instantly my burns began to heal- the pain quickly diminishing into nothing. My senses began to sharpen once again, my mind clearing itself back up.

"Did it work?" Aisha-or Speka, asks panting.

"Hey," Chung's voice sounds- he gently nudges my cheek. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah," I respond in a light whisper. Swallowing I try again- not sure if they could hear me," yeah, I can hear you."

"Open your eyes, stupid." Chung ordered. Isn't he a nice nurse?

I squint my eyes open to see a very concerned Aisha and emotionless Chung looking down on me, Elsword and the others could be heard fighting Kayak straight ahead.

"You're a bit red," Aisha points out with a small giggle. "But it'll wear off in a few hours."

"I'm going to help you sit up." Chung told me. I nod, allowing him to raise me up. "How're you feeling?" He kept his arm on my back, just to make sure I stay seated up.

"I-I'm a bit tired but other than that I'm fine." I keep my eyes on the ground, feeling too ashamed to look my friends in the eye.

_You gave everyone a scare. _Eun's warm aura returns. _Don't ever do something like tha_t _again! It is reckless and you nearly gave us a heart attack!_

"I-I'm sorry." I whispered, my lips beginning to tremble. "I-I didn't mean to be so . . . stupid. I shouldn't have attacked by myself, I-I was selfish and-" I buried my reddened face in my hands.

"Ara," Aisha pulled me into a hug. "Yes, you were being very stupid; however, you were able to acknowledge your mistake. Don't be so harsh on yourself, you made a mistake; so what? You'll learn from it so you won't do that same thing again next time."

_Your friend has a good point. _

Aisha broke the hug," I'm so glad you're okay." She whispered; her eyes reddening with tears.

"Sorry," I apologized once again; hanging my head in shame.

"Can you still fight?" Chung asked- this time in a much softer voice.

"I'll be fine." I averted my attention toward the battle raging on in front of us. "I might be a bit slow but I can still fight."

"You fools!" Kayak screamed loudly. Aisha and Chung held onto me tightly as Kayak generated another shock wave. "You cannot defeat me! No matter what you do I will always win!"

"Everyone, prepare yourselves." Eun spoke through my mouth. "I suspect Kayak may soon release the dragon."

Kayak held the El Shard up," victory has been on my side even before this fight started!" Kayak announced with a victorious smile. "Rise, Ancient Bone Dragon!" Kayak threw the necklace into the lake of magma, the ground trembled wildly as a result.

"Back off guys!" Elsword ordered. The remaining team members hurried away from Kayak.

My jaw dropped at the sight of a large dragon emerging from the lake of magma, the El Shard glowing brightly in its chest. The dragon let out a loud roar, its voice shaking the entire battle field.

Elsword wiped his sweaty forehead," we're sticking to our original plan!" He glanced back at us. "Everyone understand?!"

"Yes, sir!" We reply together.

"Chung and I will have to go now." Aisha said to me softly. "Will you be okay?" She looked at me with concern.

"Don't worry I'll have Yang with me." I reassured her with a smile. "I just need help getting-"

My face flushed with embarrassment as Chung picked me up in his arms; his fingers barely holding onto his cannon," I'll escort you to that fur ball." He said without looking at me.

"Thanks," I grumbled; searching for my Ancient Phoru.

"I can see it!" Chung broke off into a sprint, looking around I could see everyone else has split up to take on the two opponents. Guilt turned my stomach knowing I'm holding everyone back.

"Hold on tight!" Chung exclaimed; readjusting me in his arms. "I don't want you falling off!"

I hesitantly held onto him, knowing I'll be paying for this after this is all over.

"Yang!" I smiled at my furry friend. Yang lowered itself allowing Chung to place me on its back.

"You stay safe out there, alright?" He slammed his cannon on the ground. "I'll be seriously pissed if I have to save you again."

I roll my eyes," as if I need you to save me." Punching him lightly on the chest I add on," you better stay safe as well, it'd be a shame if I had to save you."

Without another exchange of words we part ways. I gesture Yang to go faster at the sight of Kayak attacking Eve and Raven- making him oblivious to our presence.

"Yang, burn that lizard!" As told Yang releases a breath of fire at Kayak, our sudden attack leaving him no options to counter. He cried out in pain as the fire rushed through him.

"Nice to see you with us, Ara!" Raven sends me a smile. He prepares himself for an attack," SonicWave - Cutter!" His attack hits Kayak without trouble.

Eve uses this oppertunity to launch her attack," Assault Spear!" She summons out a large Nasod spear, with the help of one of her Nasods, she brings the spear down on Kayak; ending in an explosion.

"I will not lose to brats like you!" Kayak weakly sent fireballs towards us. Yang quickly counters with fireballs of its own.

"It's over, Kayak." Raven approached the fallen lizard with his sword prepared for the final blow. "You've been defeated."

"As the loser of this match," Eve joined in with crossed arms. "You must answer my question!"

Raven rests his sword gently on Kayak's neck," don't think of trying anything funny either." He warned quietly.

Eve narrowed her eyes on Kayak," when we first ran into your _puppet _we noticed a couple of Nasods helping out. Tell me, where did you find those Nasods? How did you get them to work along side with you?"

Kayak laughed weakly in response," is that all you have to ask? You're interested in a few rusty robots?"

Raven's grip on his sword tightens," answer her question properly!" He begans to draw blood from Kayak's neck. "Now where did you find those Nasods?! How did you get them fighting for you?! Answer her now!"

Kayak wiped the grin off his face," it was a simple alliance." He began with narrowed eyes. "I simply grew curious of the floating islands and decided to explore them- hoping something there could improve my magic. That's where I met this robot. We talked for a bit and it soon grew curious of the Dragon. Long story short, the robot agreed to help me with my search and in return I help them revive their King."

"Their King?!" Eve's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're lying, that can't be true!"

"Are you telling the truth?!" Raven interrogated angrily - his sword drawing out more blood.

"It's the truth." Kayak trembled at the blade sinking into his flesh. "Whether you believe it or not is not my problem."

Raven glanced back at Eve and I," is there anything else you two need to ask?" I shook my head; Raven averted his attention to Eve.

"No, that is all."

Nodding he takes his sword off Kayak's neck. Before Kayak could breathe a sigh of relief Raven impales his sword through the lizard's head, I cringe at the sight of the blood gushing from the wound. Kayak's limp body falls over as Raven withdraws his sword from his skull, he silently gestures us to look away.

"Eve," I began softly. "Besides you, are their any other Nasod rulers?"

Eve doesn't reply right away. I bite my bottom lip, already feeling regret for asking her," there is one more, other than me." She responded with her eyes locked in the distance.

Before she could go on a loud explosion sounds from behind. Looking back I gasp at the sight of a large hole formed on the rocky ceiling. I could hear Raven cursing behind me.

_That cursed dragon! _Eun growled.

"I-It escaped." I thought out loud. My grip on Yang's saddle tightens," Bethma's in trouble!"


	30. 30

"Bethma's in trouble!"

Raven shakes his head in disbelief," I can't believe they let that dragon out."

"We should see how the others are doing." Eve suggests- already rushing toward the others.

Without another exchange of words Raven and I follow shortly after her. I soon grow worried at the smell of blood, its scent growing stronger with each step we take; I don't know if it's blood from the dragon or from one of our team mates, but something tells me the dragon left its nest without a scratch.

"You big idiot!" We hear Aisha screaming. "You shouldn't have taken my place!" She can be heard bursting into tears shortly after.

We arrived to a horrific scene. Elsword, with his hands covering his wounded stomach, is laying weakly on the ground; blood can be seen oozing from between his fingers. Aisha is in tears beside him while Chung is busying flipping through a thick book.

"She protected my sister from being hurt by the dragon's claws." Speka filled us in quietly. She kneels down beside Aisha. "In a state like this I'm not sure if he can survive."

"Don't say something like that!" Aisha snapped back, with her hands tightening into a fist.

"Aisha-"

"I-I'm sorry." She quickly added on, with her eyes still glued on Elsword. "I-I'm just . . . unstable."

Speka nods, understanding what her sister is going through. She gently wraps her arms around Aisha, pulling her into a gentle hug. Aisha caves into her sister's arms, crying hysterically onto her shoulder.

"I-I can't think of a potion to help him!" Chung's sudden outburst made me jump. He throws the book aside, nearly knocking it into the lake of magma as a result. "I can't do anything to help!" He buries his face in his hands.

Gingerly I help myself down from Yang, my legs instantly turn to jelly the moment they touch the ground. I use my spear as a cane to help navigate me to Chung. I don't know what I should say to him, nor do I know why I've decided to comfort him. I guess I've grown to hate him less during these past few days, he really isn't that big of a jerk.

"Hey," I greet him softly, while helping myself down beside him. "How are you holding up?"

"I feel awful," he replied without lifting his head up. "I can't do anything to help my friend, he's going to die and there's nothing I can do."

Chung's voice sounded with genuine hurt and confusion, and I hate to admit it but it pains me to see him like this. He may not be the nicest person on the team but he's still a good team mate; he's a good friend.

I force on a confident smile and say," the Rapunzel I know is much stronger than this." I punch him playfully on the shoulder. "We'll find a way to help him and we'll definitely avenge for him. So stop whining like a spoiled brat and help us think of something."

"You're awful at comforting people." He lifts his head up, and a small smile can be seen on his lips-I mentally gave myself a pat on the back at his reaction.

I roll my eyes," and you're any better? You're the one who demands others for their share of food; how is that any good?"

"Fair enough," he said with an approving nod.

He averts his attention to our injuries friend; almost instantly his smile drops. "What can we do though?" He asked in a soft whisper." We've got some crazy dragon on the loose while one of our friends is half dead."

He has a good point, if we help Elsword the dragon would destroy Bethma, but if we look for the dragon Elsword will end up dying. In the end there is no win-win situation.

_You're not seeing the full picture, Ara. _Eun piped in. _Unlike before you have a large group of friends to help you out. So why not send some to aid Elsword while the others look for the dragon?_

At that moment something clicked in the back of my mind," thanks, Eun, you're the best!" I blurt out loud.

Ignoring the strange stares my friends are sending me I hurriedly explain our plan," we should have people escorting Elsword back to the village while the others look for the dragon! It's a no brainier that Yang will be the one helping with the escort!"

"But who will be doing what?" Raven asked- knowing each and every one of us would like to take that dragon on.

"I'll be fighting." Aisha volunteers- wiping her tear filled eyes. "I'll help avenge Elsword."

"In that case I will be coming along." Speka joins in, with her eyes burning with the desire for blood-shed. "I'll be fighting for grandpa's sake." She added on, with an ominous dark aura surrounding her.

_I would also like us to join the fight. I would like for us to personally take back the El Shard._

'In the state I'm in do you really think it's a good idea for us to fight?'

_Child, I will be here to help you when you're in trouble. You mustn't worry so much._

'If you say so, Eun.'

"I'll also be joining Aisha and Speka." I spoke up; my friends send my worried glances in response.

"Are you sure?" Raven asked-probably hoping for me to change my mind. "You still seem quite weak after the last incident."

I nod," I'll be fine. Eun will be with me throughout every step."

"In that case I'll be joining her." Chung roughly punch me on the arm. "I'll need to help the twins out when this fox lady runs out of juice."

_How dare he think so lowly of us! If he were an enemy I would've ripped him apart!_

"In that case Raven and I shall escort Elsword back." Eve concluded; she eyed each of us sternly. "I expect a victory out of you all, failure is not an option."

"Don't worry, Eve, we'll get out of this with a win." I reassured her; exchanging reassuring glances to everyone I add on," let's get going guys, the sooner we track that thing down the sooner we can end this nightmare."

"We'll take care of Elsword from here." Raven said softly-his words mainly pointed toward Aisha. "Don't worry too much about him, we'll keep him safe._"_

Aisha nods," I understand." She whispers while gently cupping Elsword's cheek. "Please stay strong for us-for me." Reluctantly she helps herself up on her feet. "Let's get going."

My face flushed in embarrassment at my jelly-like legs. While everyone is already up on their feet I'm still struggling to get up, I can't even begin to imagine how the fight will be if I'm still stuck in a state like this.

"Eun, help." I whispered; mentally crossing my fingers in hopes that no one has heard me.

"You're absolutely hopeless." My grip tightens at the sound of Chung's voice. "I hope you aren't this helpless in the fight."

"Chung, you should piggy back her." Aisha suggests with a sly smile; Chung sends her an icy glare in return.

"Don't worry I'll just ask Eun-"

"Eun will only have so much power to support you." Aisha points out matter-of-factly. "You should save Eun's energy for the fight."

Darn it why does she have to be right? I glanced over at Chung, from the look on his face I can assume similar thoughts are running through his mind. I kicked his foot," so are you going to carry me or what?" I asked annoyingly.

Groaning he hesitantly kneels down," does it look like I have a choice?" He grumbled angrily. "Just hop on and shut your mouth."

With that I help myself on his back. Eve and Raven waved us good bye as we made out way out, once we left the nest none of us exchanged words to one another. We were all preparing ourselves, both mentally and physically, for the final fight for Bethma.


	31. 31

Have you ever been to a place where you can physically feel the thick tension; like walking in late to that one terrifying class, or having to sit beside someone whom you just had a fight with? That is what Bethma feels like.

The nice and peaceful atmosphere that has once welcomed us is now contaminated with a thick layer of tension, my ears rung loudly at the ominous silence; my heart racing wildly at the obvious signs of danger.

Aisha, Speka, Chung, and I remained silent as we hiked through the rocky paths, keeping our ears open to the raging dragon. It's surprising how peaceful Bethma is, especially now that an ancient dragon has been released. The silence gave us no comfort, instead, it filled each of us with dread of the unknown.

"Not here either." Speka blurt out loud-breaking the uncomfortable stillness. "Where could a giant dragon hide itself?" She angrily kicks aside a small rock.

"I'm surprised the dragon hasn't attacked yet," Aisha pipes in. "You'd think an angry dragon would destroy everything in its path."

"What if the dragon went somewhere else?" I ask hesitantly; I could feel Chung stiffening up at my question.

"Then we'll search every inch of this planet for it." He answered-readjusting me on his back. "I just hope that thing didn't decide to pay the village a visit."

"I just hope Elsword is okay." I could hear Aisha whispering to herself. "Please let him arrive to the village alright."

I smiled, acknowledging the strong bond she holds with Elsword. Despite their constant bickering and fights, Aisha and Elsword are very close to one another. They have a bond that I can never break; nor replace.

"Guys," Speka hissed in a rushed voice; we came to an abrupt stop in response," did you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?" Aisha whispered back, with her voice slightly shaking.

"Shh, just listen."

Once again we grew silent, each of us straining our ears to pick up any strange noise. My stomach twisted into knots at the soft roar, I can feel Eun bursting with energy at the sound of our prey.

"It's a roar," I announced to the group; not knowing if they could pick up the noise. Aisha and Speka exchanged nervous glances, the sisters gestured me to go on.

" If I'm correct it came from just ahead." I said-pointing to the steep path up ahead

"We've got to hurry!" Aisha summoned out her staff. "Ara, can you lead the way?"

I nod," let's get going."

Chung grumbled to himself angrily before breaking off into a sprint. I tighten my arms around him as our path grew began to grow more steep and narrow. My heart pounded loudly at the sight of a large flying creature at the distance. The creature instantly caught everyone's attention; causing us to come to a halt.

For the first time in my life I shook with fear, fear of losing my life, fear of losing my friends; fear of facing that dragon.

"It'll take forever for us to reach that thing!" Chung panted. "By the time we get there it'll be somewhere else!"

He has a good point, running toward the dragon won't be the smartest thing to do. The entire village would be destroyed before we could ever reach it.

"I have an idea!" Aisha exclaimed with a snap. "I just need a few seconds!"

We watched as Aisha hopped onto her staff and elevated herself up to get a better view of the landscape. A small smile formed on her lips," I can see the beast going to the lake." She said excitedly - she looked at her sister. "Speka, you've been to the lake before, right?"

"I've passed by it once." She admitted. At that moment something lit in her eyes, the sisters exchanged confident glances with one another.

"Chung and Ara," Speka averted her attention toward us. "I need you two to stay completely still. Whatever happens be sure not to move."

Something about her statement made me feel uncomfortable. Whatever they're planning I hope it doesn't involve us being thrown off a cliff; it would make a pretty painful short cut.

Before we even got a chance to reply the two sisters stood on both of Chung's side, with one arm holding onto their staff and the other linked with Chung. A large magic circle appeared beneath us, I squinted my eyes at the blinding purple light.

I could feel us being lifted from the ground, the thought of falling only made me panic. I squeezed my arms tightly around Chung, not caring if I'd choke him to death. Slowly the purple light began fading, it took my eyes a couple of seconds to adjust to the dim lighting before I realized our new location. The sisters had teleported us to the Bethma Lake.

Before I could breathe a sigh of relief Chung suddenly dropped me. The sudden impact with the rocky ground left me in shock and pain.

"Ow! Why did you do that?" I spat angrily. Chung simply responded with a gasp for air-I guess I really was choking him.

"You are never getting near me ever again!" He wheezed out. Aisha and Speka smiled amusedly at his reaction.

"Weak," I teased, while slowly helping myself up.

Chung glared icily at me," you ungrateful animal."

Eun growled in anger at his remark.

"You know what; you-"

I paused at the sudden change in atmosphere; I could even feel Eun's anger diminishing. The same fear I felt on the way here came back to me, now hammering me with more power than ever.

"What's wrong?" Aisha was the first to ask.

"It's coming," I replied in a barely audible whisper. "Guys, the dragon is coming!"

Almost instantly my friends positioned themselves for the upcoming attack. I gripped onto my spear tightly, my head pounding from both the anxiety and fatigue.

The boned dragon quickly came into view, soaring above us with its wrinkled black wings spread widely in the sky; like a large blanket. My heart beat excitedly at the small amber glow in the dragon's chest.

Aisha was the first to launch the attack. Swinging her staff up high she shouts," Magic Missile!" A small magic ball emerged from her staff, hurdling toward the dragon. The impact caused the dragon to cry out in pain, its booming voice causing my ears to ring.

"Run!" Speka warned-sprinting away from the dragon.

Like sheep we followed her lead; I could feel its breath of fire hitting the spot behind us.

"I call dibs on the next hit!" Speka hopped onto her staff; flying herself toward the dragon. A dark aura surrounded Speka as she released her attack," Phantom Breathing!" A small bat appears above the dragon, with a snap of a finger the bat releases an ominous dark wave.

Aisha used this chance to launch her attack," Meteor Shower!" Numerous fire balls are summoned from the sky, and the dragon is knocked down from the burning meteors.

Chung and I broke out into a sprint toward the dragon. Seeing how Chung was ahead of me he attacked first," Big Bang Stream!" He threw a group of grenades at the dragon; each one instantly went off at contact with the dragon.

"Moonlight Slash!" I finished off the combo. The dragon remained still after my attack, but none of us dared to take our eyes off it. I quietly counted each passing second while bracing myself for a sudden attack.

"Is it down?" Aisha asked with unease. "It isn't moving anymore."

"Maybe it's just rusty after all those years of being sealed away." Chung hypothesized. "We should take back that bead before it wakes up again."

The sisters nodded and followed Chung toward it. I, on the other hand, couldn't shake the unease in my stomach. This fight is too easy; how can three powerful magicians take three days to defeat it when we barely reached the one day mark?

_Those magicians ran out of energy before that dragon could. _Eun added on. _Yet here it is, drained of energy. _

"The El Shard is its source of power," I pondered out loud. "If the El Shard is still within its chest..."

_The dragon is not yet defeated. _

"Guys! Don't get any closer!" I warned with my hand waving frantically in the air. My friends glanced back at me, each one staring at me with the same confused look.

"If the El Shard is still within the dragon it is not defeated. That thing still has energy; it's all a trick!"

As if the dragon could understand what I said, it sprung into action; swinging its bony claw at my friends. I gasped as my friends are thrown back from the impact. The dragon quickly takes flight, whipping up a cloud of dust as a result.

_Watch out!_

Looking up I gasp at the flames of rain falling at us. Shakily I hurry to my fallen friends; I needed to get them out of the way! Eun helped me reach my friends faster by lending me its strength, I used this chance to swiftly pull my friends away.

I squirmed in fear with each flame that hit the ground. If I had ran any second later we would've been toast. My attention averted back to my team, tears threatened to fall from my eyes at their limp bodies.

_We may have to finish this ourselves. _Eun told me softly.

'No! I refuse to believe that!' I shook each of my friends, praying they'll wake up. My hope shattered with each unresponsive shake.

"They can't be dead," I shook my head in disbelief. "I-I saved them from the fire! They can't do this to me!"

Once again I could not protect the ones I care for. Just like back then I am left in tears, feeling hurt, alone; time though I had the power to protect them, and I failed.

"Wake up!" I begged. My body trembled with fear as the dragon circled above us, plotting our death. "Please wake up!"

"Ow..." Aisha groaned. "My stomach hurts."

"I feel like I just ate some bad sushi." Speka said quietly.

"I knew going armourless in battle was a bad idea." Chung winced while helping himself up. "At least we're not dead."

A huge wave of relief hit me, now I really couldn't help but cry. I'm so happy they're alive, if they had died I wouldn't know what to do.

"What's wrong, Ara?" Aisha questioned, as she sat herself up. "Are you hurt?"

I shook my head," I'm just glad no one is dead." I was so tempted to pull everyone, expect Chung of course, into a tight hug.

_I hate is interrupt this moment but the dragon is about to attack. _

Eun's warning put me on edge. Without looking I order," we need to get away from here! The dragon is about to attack!"

My friends didn't question me, without another word they began limping their way away from the approaching dragon. I nearly lost my balance when the dragon collided its claws on our former spot; thank goodness Eun was able to catch the danger in time.

"What are we going to do now?" Speka asked with her arm wrapping around her injured stomach. "At this state we can't fight!"

"The battle between the magicians and dragon took _three_ days!" Aisha put emphasis on the word 'three'. "At this rate I doubt we can even last the night!"

The sisters have a good point. Everyone here is beyond tired, if we continue this fight any longer we'd be dead.

There's only one way to defeat this dragon-we need to take back the El Shard. Attacking head on would be a huge mistake, the dragon can easily knock us out with one swipe. We need to find a way to keep it distracted.

I racked my brain for a plan; a safe and effective plan. I snapped my fingers loudly at the new idea emerging from the dark. I carefully analyzed the idea, trying to improve and find loopholes to our victory before announcing my idea.

"I have a plan!" I spoke up excitedly. "I'll need everyone to contribute though; do you guys think you have enough energy left for one more attack?"

I braced myself for rejection, I'll understand if they don't want to fight. At this state I doubt anyone would want to continue this battle.

"Of course we're ready!" Speka twirled her staff skillfully. "Knowing my sister I know she'll want to help as well." She winks at Aisha.

"I swear you can read my mind." Aisha teased.

"I'll help as well." Chung jumps in. "As long as your plan isn't stupid."

The dragon breathed fire at us before I could explain. We hurriedly dodged the attack, causing the dragon to cry out in anger. I quickly explained my plan, telling everyone their roll and how it'll help lead to the dragon's downfall.

"Are you sure?" Aisha glanced nervously at the dragon. "It might not affect it."

"We have to try!" I exclaimed pleadingly. "We are the only ones who have the power to stop it! We need to try-even if we die trying!"

"I like your way of thinking." Speka smiled- her eyes burning with the will to fight. "Let's do this!"

Chung punched me on the shoulder," if we die I'll be sure to make you suffer for an eternity." He warned. I simply roll my eyes at his threat.

Chung and I stood back as the sisters took on their role. Aisha and Speka exchanged glances before starting," Lightning Shower!" Aisha used the last of her energy to summon out a the lightning strikes.

"Plasma Cutter!" Speka sent out various laser beams from the tip of her fingers.

Their combined attacks caught the dragon's attention almost instantly. I could see the sister trembling at the angered dragon, now it was up to Chung to keep out plan running smoothly.

"Dread Chase!" Chung targeted his attack toward its eyes. The flashing missiles made a good distraction for the dragon. The large beast squirmed away from the flashing lights, trying to regain its vision.

"Now, Ara!" He shouted.

Using all the strength Eun and I had left I launch myself at the dragon. My eyes widened as I approach to the shining bead in its bony chest. "Wind Wedge!" I stab the beast in its chest several times, breaking apart its tough armour, before planting my spear deep within its chest.

The dragon flew recklessly around the battle field, I could hear my friends screaming at me to let go, but I anticipated this reaction. I clung onto my spear tightly while digging my claws into the dragon.

I just have to chip off a bit more, I told myself. I can almost see the entire Shard.

I could feel my spear beginning to slip out of the dragon, my heart dropped to my stomach at the limited time I had left.

"I need to do this!" I growled. Using all I had left I launched one last attack, "Tiger Claw!" I clawed through the dragon's thick flesh, allowing me to finally reach my target.

A large smile formed on my lips as my hands wrapped around the shard, its warmth giving me some new found strength.

At last my spear slipped out of the dragon, dragging me and the El Shard off the dragon. I held the El Shard close to me while falling aimlessly into the lake water; or rocky ground if I'm really not lucky.

I took a deep breath in before plunging into the water. Before I could gather myself up the dragon came tumbling down, my body was flown around the water as a result.

I winced in pain the moment my arm collided with what felt like a rock, my grip around the Shard tightened; there is no way I'll lose this thing under water, especially when that dragon is down here too.

My body tensed at the cold metallic fingers wrapping around my arms. I could feel something prying the Shard from my hand. I struggled to keep the Shard in my possession-I won't let someone take it now. I've come too far.

I fought stubbornly with the thief, my grip tightening with each second passing.

My hands finally came loose when something jabbed into my back, I tensed in pain from the abrupt impact . Before I could react the Shard was gone. I didn't realize my breath was held until now, every inch of my body cried out for air. I no longer had the strength to swim up, all I can do is sink further and further into the lake.

The last thing I remember is someone wrapping their arms around me before my lungs filled with water.


	32. 32

Darkness was the first thing to welcome me when I came into consciousness. For the first few minutes I thought I was dead; I was sure I was dead. It wasn't until I felt the sharp pain in my back when I knew I was still alive; I don't know how but I am alive!

I squint my eyes open, groaning the instant the harsh sunlight hit me. I could hear someone shuffling by my bedside as a response.

"Ara?" A childish voice sounded. "Ara, are you awake?" It beamed with excitement.

"Lucas?" I drowsily turn to face the young lizard. "Where am I?" I studied the strange room.

"You're in Stella's house." Lucas answered almost instantly. "Thank goodness we found you all in time. You would've been dead if we had arrived a minute later!"

Dead eh? I wonder if I would've bee able to reunite with my village; my family, if I had died. I guess its just not my time to see them again.

"Where is everyone else?" I asked softly. "What became of the dragon?"

Lucas' face lit up with excitement," you and your friends defeated the dragon!" He exclaimed. "You and your friends are heroes! We would all be dead if your team had never come here!"

I smiled at our victory, at least we were able to save this village. Despite the fact that I lost the El Shard, I'm happy that we were able save everyone. That's a good enough victory for me.

_It's not satisfying for me. _Eun grunted. _We failed to obtain the El Shard, there is nothing to be celebrated about. _

'Oh shush, Eun. Let's just be happy for the villagers, we can worry about the El Shard some other time.'

_I suppose you are right. _

Lucas' eyes widened with worry as I tried to help myself up," you need rest!" He urged me to lay down. "I can call your friends in if you want."

"If you don't mind," I winced; letting myself lay down once again.

"I'll be right back!" He said; running out the room.

I could hear him shouting at my friends to see me, I smiled at the thought of seeing everyone again. After what we went through it'll be nice to see everyone healthy and well again.

"Ara!" Echo was the first to enter my room. Her face went pale at the sight of my weakened state. "Are you in pain? Can you breathe okay? How many fingers am I holding up?"

"I'm okay," I giggled; in hopes of lightening the mood. "Just a bit tired and sore."

"If you weren't sore I'd be concerned." Elsword poked his head in. "Being stabbed in the back would hurt."

I was stabbed? I guess that would explain how I lost my iron grip on the Shard.

"I could say the same about you," I point out, with a wink." How are you doing?"

Elsword smiled childishly," well I can walk without limping now, so I think I'm doing pretty good!" He said with a thumbs up. "I'm doing even better now that you're awake and well!"

"I'm surprised you didn't bleed out before we got to you." Raven made his way in with Eve following behind him.

"Echo did an amazing job treating you." Eve added on. Echo blushed at the compliment.

"We found your spear at the bottom of the lake." Chung joined in, with an upset expression. I couldn't help but feel irritated, he is the only one here who seems upset at my recovery; here I thought Chung and I became closer as friends.

"You should be on your knees thanking us." He adds on.

"Don't be mean!" Lucas punched Chung on the leg. "Ara helped you defeat the dragon." Chung simply rolled his eyes at Lucas' statement.

"Where's Aisha and Speka?" I ask; deciding to change the subject.

"They went to mourn for their grandfather." Elsword spoke softly. "They didn't want anyone to follow them. I guess that's understandable."

"They'll come back to see you." Raven reassured with a smile. "For now we should give them some family time."

"Most importantly, we're glad you're okay." Echo softened her voice-her eyes began tearing up," I was so scared that you were dead."

"You had us all really worried." Elsword admitted; even he could not hide the pain in his expression. "I really thought I'd lose a friend."

I don't know how to feel right now. Should I feel happy that I have such caring friends; or maybe I should feel guilty for not only worrying them, but losing such an important item?

I bow my head in shame, tightening my fists to control my emotions," sorry for making everyone worry." I said shakily.

"Sorry for losing the El Shard." I add on; directing the last part to Eun. I know finding these Shards mean a lot to Eun, and I feel like a failure for losing such an important item.

"It's okay," Echo was the first to reply. I sheepishly look up to meet her in the eye. "We can look for the El Shard later"-she smiles warmly-"Right now we're just glad you and everyone else in this village is okay."

_The girl is right. _Eun piped in. _We will search for the El Shard when you are well. For now rest, you have been through a lot. _

'Thank you, Eun.'

There was a moment of silence, silence to appreciate our safety and victory; and to remember those we lost along the way.

I hope Buch and all those who have died during Kayak's mischief are at peace.

Raven cleared his voice; breaking the comfortable silence," how did you end up being stabbed?" Raven asked; deciding not to beat around the bush any longer. "According to Chung you were still fine when you fell in the lake."

That was my queue to tell them what I remembered. Everyone listened without interruptions, I almost felt bad for not recalling more. They all seem so interested in my attacker.

"That's all I remembered." I finally concluded, with a sigh. "Sorry for not remembering that much."

The room remained silent, everyone seems to be lost in thought; as if trying to work out the vague information.

_Ara, look over there. _

Eun directed our attention to Eve, unlike the others she seems to be in utter shock. Her usual emotionless face is now replaced with a dreadful expression, as if she has just witnessed a murder.

_I wonder if this Nasod knows of the thief who stole the El Shard. _

'Eve was with Raven the whole time though; what would she know of the thief?'

"Are you sure metallic fingers grabbed you?" Eve questioned grimly; her shoulders tensed as she waited for me to answer.

I nod," it was really weird. Thinking back now it could've been a robot of some kind, it's the only way I could explain it."

"A robot?" Elsword quoted; he began pacing around the room. "Maybe someone was also eyeing the El Shard, and when Ara freed the Shard from the dragon the person sent some kind of robot to retrieve it."

"If some were to spy on us and Kayak wouldn't they have been caught?" Echo piped in; crossing her arms. "With such a big team I doubt they could have hid from all of you."

"It also wouldn't make sense that they hid themselves so well from Kayak," Raven added on. "Kayak wasn't exactly weak, he could've easily sensed the presence of a spy."

Elsword snapped his fingers," what if Kayak had a partner of some sort? Having a partner would be like a plan B if he ever failed!" He exclaimed, and stopped pacing. "If that is the case then we haven't won yet."

My stomach twisted uncomfortably at the thought of the El Shard falling into the hands of another twisted mage, I doubt Bethma can survive another attack.

"We don't even know if this _friend_ of Kayak's is real," Chung said matter-of factly. "It's all just a theory at this point."

Elsword ran his fingers through his hair frustratingly," what are we supposed to do now? We have don't have a lead on this thief, and the El Shard's power have been reawakened." He turned to Eve. "What do you think we should do?"

Eve didn't respond, she simply stared ahead with widened eyes. Elsword quickly noticed her strange behaviour and added," Eve, are you feeling okay?" He placed a hand on her shoulder; ignoring the fact that she could slap him at any time.

"I think I may know..." she trailed off. "The thief that attacked Ara."

"What?" Everyone seemed to respond at the same time.

I thought Eve knew something about this whole thing, but I didn't actually think it was true. I wonder if she knew of the attack from the start; if she had, why didn't she warn us earlier?

_I do not trust this Nasod. _Eun growled; preparing to jump at her. _Whose side is she really on?_

'Don't say things like that, Eun!' I replied mentally.' I trust Eve, and I know she's truly on our side!'

_Child, I hope you know betrayal is a possibility._

'I know, Eun, but I believe Eve is trustworthy; I know Eve is trustworthy.'

_Do you really know she's trustworthy? Or do you want to believe she's trustworthy? _

"What do you know, Eve?" Elsword asked softly; keeping in mind Eve is still acting a bit off.

She brushed his hand off her shoulder," it's also just a theory, but I have reasons to believe the thief is..." She trails off. "I think i may know who this thief may be."

"Spit it out already!" Chung screamed, with tightened fists. "This could really help us out!"

Eve gave Chung a death glare before replying," I wish to discuss this matter elsewhere," she gestured to everyone but me. "I will talk to you peasants out in the living room."

I wanted to tell her to wait for me but Raven cut me off," we'll fill you in when you're a bit better." He reassured.

"Yeah, for now just rest." Elsword agreed; gesturing me to relax. "Just sleep for now, for now just worry about getting better!"

Knowing I can't win this argument I reply," fine, I'll see you guys later."

I watched as they made their way out, wishing I was well enough to join them; Chung didn't budge from his spot until they were all out.

First he comes in and greets me with a sour attitude, and now he's not even going to leave me alone. Just what does he want from me?

"What do you want?" I ask bitterly, with a glare; like always he is not fazed.

"You're really stupid." He said; without looking at me. That got me angry, but before I could defend myself he went on," I'm sick and tired of seeing you getting yourself into danger. That's the last time I'll ever save you."

What? Did my ears hear right?

"E-excuse me?" I blurt out. "What did you just say?"

"I'm-" he paused. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Without another word he quickly made his way out, leaving me in both shock and confusion.

* * *

I spent the week recovering and being taken care of. Despite my efforts to prove to my team that I'm all better, Echo would not allow me to step foot out my bed through that entire week. I had to ask her to give me something to put me to sleep in order to get me through the day.

After much time being stuck in bed I was finally able to walk out that room. Everyone was happy to see me moving again and we celebrated with a large dinner. All the worries we had a few weeks ago drowned in the laughter and games. It was like we had never gotten into a battle with the dragon, we were like a group of normal friends having fun.

"I can't believe you killed me off!" Aisha angrily threw her card down, revealing the Queen card.

Elsword cursed loudly," we killed off our nurse?!"

"Oh good job guys." Raven congratulated with sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Now we're all screwed."

"I knew we should've voted for Elsword!" Stella screamed. "If we killed Elsword off we could've saved our nurse!"

I breathed a sigh of relief, thank goodness no one suspected me to be mafia. With Eun's help I was able to keep a calm posture, I guess I am cheating in a way but it's not like I'm peeking to see everyone's role.

"You peasants are hopeless." Eve shook her head.

"Says the one who refused to vote!" Speka pointed out.

Eve revealed her card, showing she is just a mere villager," I do not wish to play anymore." She sighed; throwing the card down.

"Are you okay, Eve?" I ask; she has been acting a bit off throughout the night. At first she was just tired but now I can see there is much more.

"You didn't tell her yet, right?" Elsword asked hesitantly.

Eve shook her head," I wanted to wait until she was fully recovered." She added.

"Well I'm pretty healthy now," I pipe in. "Don't you think it's time to fill me in?"

Eve remained silent for a moment before replying," I suppose it's only fair I tell you." She looked me dead in the eye. Something in her eyes told me to listen carefully.

"The ones who attacked you may have been Nasods." She began almost shamefully. "I have reasons to believe these Nasods wish to revive a powerful Nasod; a Nasod just as powerful as me, hierarchy wise."

"What?" I blurt out; not believing what Eve is saying. Here I thought Eve was the only ruler in the Nasod race.

"After what that mage said I am positive those Nasods need the El Shard to reawaken their ruler. It's obvious they have forgotten me as their Queen." She went on; keeping her voice calm and steady. "I want to see if this is true for myself, so I have asked the team if they can accompany me to Altera, the home of the Nasods."

It all makes sense now, it'd normal for Eve to feel upset. She has to face the fact that her own kind has not only injured me and stole the El Shard, but has also recognized someone else as Queen. I would be pretty upset if I were in her shoes.

"If they really are trying to revive their new ruler I'll need to take them down!" She clenched her fists. "I believe it is time for me take take my Kingdom back"-she bowed to me-"Ara, I know you have just recovered from a dangerous battle, you deserve a break, but I cannot reclaim my Kingdom without your help. Would you please help me take back my throne?"

"Of course!" I replied instantly. "You're my friend, of course I'll be willing to help you out!" I quickly gesture her to sit up straight. "So please sit up straight, a Queen like you shouldn't be bowing to someone like me-"

"Thank you!" Eve exclaimed, and tackled me with a tight hug. "I'm so relieved you agreed to help me. I promise I will pay you back."

"Don't worry about it," I giggled. "Friends are supposed to help each other out!"

Eve broke the bear hug and smiled," I cannot thank you and everyone here enough." She glanced around the room." Since everyone knows of the plan now; would it be alright if we depart tomorrow morning? I would like it if we confront the Nasods as soon as possible."

That might be a problem if we stay up all night partying.

"Ara just recovered," Stella points out, as she plays with her face down card. "Are you sure leaving so suddenly will be such a great idea?"

"Stella has a good point," Aisha joined in; this caused Eve to frown. "We should at least wait another week before leaving, we need more time to pack and prepare potions for the trip."

Eve pondered on the idea for a second before responding," I suppose you are right." She sighed; her drones cuddled up on her shoulders, as if trying to comfort her. "We can leave once this week is over."

"Just enjoy the games tonight," I encourage her; patting her on the back. "We promise to help you out, so don't worry so much about it."

"I-I do not worry!" She quickly defended herself; turning her card back over. "A Nasod like me cannot feel worried!"

Everyone simply laugh at her response, at this point we all know she is capable of feeling something.

"Enough chit chat!" Raven clapped his hands together. "It's now night fall!" We all shut our eyes. "Mafia wake up!"

Now who shall I kill off next?


	33. 33

I woke up feeling like death, I wasn't sure if it was because we all slept a bit late last night or that I'm not fully recovered yet. Whatever the reason may be it left me feeling half dead throughout the morning.

Throughout the week we have been preparing ourselves for the trip to Altera, helping villagers with reparations, and playing games until the sun rose. We knew we needed rest for the trip today, but that thought got thrown out the window pretty quick.

Lets just say playing that game of truth or dare last night wasn't exactly our greatest idea; especially since we have to leave for a long journey today.

Stella cooked us up a large breakfast, telling us we needed to eat lots for the long journey ahead. She even insisted on making us some snacks but we objected, we didn't want to bother her any further. Breakfast went by in a flash, before I knew it we were standing at the border of Bethma readying to head off to the mysterious Altera.

"Do you guys have enough potions? Did you all pack your clothes; do you all have extra water for the trip? Did you leave anything behind? Is there anything else you still need?" Echo bombarded us with questions; not stopping to wait for a reply.

"We're fine, Echo." Raven quickly reassured with raised hands. "We'll be able to take care of ourselves."

Echo bit her finger nails," if you say so." She glanced at Elsword. "Do you still have the Wind Shard?"

Elsword nodded, taking out the small pouch from his bag," it's nice and safe with us!" He waved the pouch carelessly in the air.

"Thank you for aiding us in the battle." Eve held out her hand to Echo. "And I would personally like to thank you for allowing us to journey to Altera."

Echo accepted the hand shake," of course!" She grinned. "I understand that these Nasods must concern you; I'm sure Lowe will think the same."

"So what are your plans now?" Aisha asked her sister; Speka simply shrugged in response.

"I think I'm gonna go do some exploring on my own," she said; readjusting her backpack. "There's still a lot I need to learn about Dark Magic."

I frown at the thought of Speka leaving. It'd be nice if she could stay with us, I'm sure she would've made a fine addition to the team.

"Don't worry though, sis!" Speka added, with a childish grin. "I'll walk you guys to Altera before leaving, it's the least I can do for your team."

Aisha wrapped her arm around Speka," maybe I can convince you to stay along the way." She said, with a wink.

"I highly doubt it." Speka said; rolling her eyes.

"I think it's about time for us to hit the road!" Raven clapped his hands together. "Let's get going before it gets too hot out!"

"Are you sure you can make it back to Elder yourself?" I asked Echo concernedly. The journey from Bethma to Elder will be rough, I really hope she'll be able to make it back safely.

"Don't worry about me!" She held her head up confidently. "Stella is willing to walk me half way!"

"You bet I will!" Stella beamed from behind her. "But before you kids leave, I have a special surprise for y'all."

Stella stepped aside to reveal Lucas and his father walking hand in hand our way. Lucas smiled widely at us," guys!" He shouted; letting go of his father's hand to wave at us.

"Lucas!" I called back, and ran to the small lizard with open arms. I instantly wrap my arms around him the moment he came into arms' reach.

"Ara!" Lucas greeted me excitedly. "I'll miss you and your team!" He hugged me back.

"We'll miss you too, Lucas!" I couldn't help but feel sad for leaving the village, I've grown to really like this place.

"I want to hug Lucas too!" Aisha pushed me aside; Lucas laughed in response.

Helping myself up I turn to greet Lucas' father," Nice to meet you, sir. My name is Ara." I reach out my hand. "Sorry if you're still hurt from fighting us."

"There's no need to apologize." He shook my hand. "We are forever in debt with your team for saving us."

"These kids worked real hard for us." Stella piped in; she playfully punched me on the back. "I never would've thought a party like this existed."

"We may be a strange party," Aisha stated, with Lucas still tightly wrapped in her arms. "But we did a pretty good job."

"You folks make a very strange team," Stella said; shaking her head. "However, y'all are some of the best workers I have ever seen. I'm more than happy to support your team, if anything ever happens just call me. Me and my warriors would be more than happy to lend a helping hand!"

It's funny how Stella was so against us when we first met, and now she's willing to send her military out to aid us.

"We probably shouldn't keep you guys." Lucas' father spoke up; gesturing to the rising sun. "You and your team better go before it gets too late."

"That'll probably be a good idea!" Elsword looked up at the sky. "It's starting to get hot again, and we barely even step foot out the village!"

Knowing it's time for us to go I hurry back to my friends; quickly climbing onto Yang's back.

Biding our friends one last good bye we began to take our leave. I glanced back one last time to see Lucas happily sitting on his father's shoulders, with a large smile plastered on his face. Stella and Echo laughed as Lucas' father pretended to drop him, I could hear the small lizard loudly accusing his dad of scaring him.

From a distance they all appear to be happy villagers enjoying their morning, not having to worry about a thing in the world. No one passing by could ever imagine the battle that raged on within the village, everyone and everything seems so at peace.

It's a shame I won't be able to reunite with my father until I die, I couldn't help but think. And I won't be able to live in peace with my villagers until I meet them up in heaven.

_Stop thinking so negatively. _Eun cut my thought off; surrounding me with a warming aura. _You have friends who truly care for you, I believe they are trustworthy enough to be considered family. _

'You have a good point, Eun.'

_Except for that Chung kid. I do not like that brat at all. _

Normally I'd agree with Eun, but I don't think Chung is all that bad. Throughout the time we were in Bethma Chung has been there to help me and comfort me, he seemed to care for me when the battles got dangerous.

I think I should consider thinking differently of him, he really isn't all that bad.

"Move!" Chung's loud voice snaps me out of my thoughts. Before I could properly react he pushes me off of Yang, causing me to crash onto the rocky ground.

I take back all I have said about him, Chung is a total jerk!

"Chung!" I growled; grinding my teeth together. "Get off of Yang!"

Chung pretended not to hear me, gesturing Yang to speed up. I nearly lost it at his response, he's lucky Eun didn't decide to take over.

"I see things are back to normal." Aisha said; holding back an obvious snicker. "I hope your arguments won't escalate to me and Elsword's."

If he continues to act the way he does it'll escalate to a whole new level, I can't promise he'll be able to walk out on his own two feet.

"At least you guys are getting along now," Raven joined in the conversation. "It's obvious he's just messing with you now."

I gave Raven the '_are you kidding me_' look," I'm not joking when I say I'm so done with him." I told him.

"Whatever you say," Raven shrugged; wiping his forehead with the sleeve of his Bethma robe. "I'm sure he appreciates your company though, he seems much more cheerful now."

So when he feels happy he likes to knock people off their ride? I would hate to see what he'll do when he's in a bad mood.

"Raven has a point," Aisha agreed; smiling at the small argument raging between Chung and Elsword ahead. "Chung may not be the same kid we knew from the beginning, but it's obvious he has gotten much better after talking to you."

"Really?" I inquired; still not feeling convinced. "I highly doubt that, all we ever do is argue."

"Isn't that what close friends are supposed to do?" Aisha said matter-of-factly-Raven nodded at her statement.

I simply shook my head, not falling for the little act they're putting up.

How can someone feel happy from arguing? I don't know about you, but I'm always left in a bad mood after an argument; I would never even come close to feeling happy.

_Watch out! _

Taking over my body, Eun sprung into action," look out!" Eun warned; pushing Raven back.

"What are you-"

Before he could finish a Nasod came bursting out of the ground, waving its spinning drill dangerously in the air. Growling at the surprise attack Eun launched us at the Nasod," Rock Smash!" We forced the Nasod backwards.

"Tiger Claw!" Eun finished; shredding through the rusty Nasod like tissue.

"Raven!" Aisha rushed to his side. "Are you okay?"

"I think so," he groaned. "Was that Eun?"

Regaining control I replied," yeah, I'm even surprised Eun did that." I didn't think Eun would go that far to save someone, I guess I judged Eun wrong.

_You think too lowly of me, Child._

"Uh thanks, Eun." Raven said sheepishly. It must be weird for him to have been saved by a demon; I can't blame him.

"What's going on back here?!" Elsword shouted from up ahead.

Aisha rolled her eyes," let me take care of this." Clearing her voice she responded in a similar loud tone. "Oh nothing, Raven just nearly got ripped apart by some Nasod hidden underground! It's no biggie!"

"What?!" Elsword and Chung both exclaimed.

"Don't worry he's still in one piece!"

_Thanks to me of course._

"We should hurry and catch up to them." I nudged Aisha's arm. "You go on ahead, I'll catch up with Raven."

Aisha nodded," stay safe you two." Hopping onto her staff she quickly flew to the others. My shoulders relaxed once she reached the others safely.

"Come on," I turned to face Raven. "Raven?"

Raven did not look okay at all, with his eyes wide open and face drained of colour. He looked like he has just seen a ghost," hey, are you okay?" I asked worriedly. "You don't look that well."

"Y-yeah." He shook himself out of the daze. "L-let's just hurry to the others."

I kept a close eye on him as he clumsily helped himself up, making sure he doesn't suddenly collapse on us. He gingerly began walking, I stalked a few inches behind him in case he falls back.

"What's with the commotion up ahead?" He asked; pointing to ahead to our halted team. "Come on."

Raven began to pick up his pace, but I kept my spot behind him. I'm not sure what just happened back there but I don't think Raven is in the right state of mind to be left alone.

When we reached the others I could feel my jaw dropping with amazement. Up ahead I could see a large island suspended above a large river. I could hear a waterfall roaring loudly in the distance, its strong currents rushing down from the island like a landslide. The continental land encircled the islands below like a protective barrier for the haven above.

I knew we were here on a mission but I couldn't help but admire the floating island, it's not everyday we get to see something like this.

"Who knew an island like this existed?" Elsword gestured at the mysterious floating land. "This is so cool!"

"We need to go exploring here some time!" I beamed. I bet the view from up there is beautiful.

"Too bad we can't go exploring now." Aisha sighed. "I really want to know what's on those islands."

"Then it looks like today will be your lucky day," Eve piped in. She narrowed her eyes at the island. "What you see now is what is left of my great Kingdom."

Chung snapped his head back at Eve," you've got to be kidding." This caused us to turn our attention to the Nasod Queen.

Eve gestured to the islands," friends, welcome to Altera..." she trailed off." Or what's left of it."

We awed at the island in silence, trying to wrap our heads around the new information. Who knew Eve had her Kingdom in such a beautiful area? If I ruled this island I would never want to leave home.

"So how do you guys get up there?" Speka asked; playing with one of her braids. "I doubt there's going to be a plane that'll take us there."

"When I ruled we had land bridges to connect with the continents." Eve poked her head out to examine the cliff. "It doesn't appear the Nasods have built something to reconnect the islands."

"Do you and Aisha know some crazy spell to get us on?" Elsword inquired.

The sisters exchanged glances," I don't think we'd have enough magic to fly everyone across." Aisha spoke up.

"Teleporting is also out of the equation." Speka added on. "Unless one of us has been on the island we cannot teleport there."

"So we're basically stuck here!" Elsword said irritatingly; he sat himself down. "Those blasted Nasods can't be touched from up there!"

Eve smacked Elsword across the cheek, the slap echoed loudly like a lion's roar. Our team slowly backed away from her; this is the first time I have seen Eve this agitated- I bet this is a first for everyone as well.

"Silence!" She sneered. "You will not insult my race!"

Elsword rubbed his reddened cheeks, frowning at Eve's actions," sorry, I didn't mean to offend you." He grumbled.

Eve lowered hand, her shoulder starting to relax," I apologize for my outburst." Her apology bringing surprise to Elsword's face. Eve turned away from him, looking out at the islands in a daze," I am upset that my Nasods have changed so much. I also fear they will not recognize me as their Queen, it has been a long time since I have been here."

Elsword didn't respond, no one did. We knew this is something very important to Eve and we all lacked the knowledge to comfort her. I wish we had some way to comfort Eve, to help her return home and meet with her fellow Nasods again.

_I have an idea. _Eun piped in. _We still have the Wind Shard; do we not?_

At that moment I could hear something clicking in my mind, I mentally slapped myself on the forehead. How could I have not think of that earlier?

"Elsword," I spoke up; Elsword glanced back at me curiously. "We still have the Wind Shard, right?"

Elsword's eyes widened at my question, I could see he shared the same idea as me.

"Isn't this Wind Shard super dangerous?" Speka questioned. "Didn't you guys get into a dangerous fight because of it?"

"We did, but if the Shard is used correctly it can be really helpful." Aisha clarified; she averted her attention to me. "Ara, are you suggesting we use the Shard's power to get us across?"

I nodded," it was able to carry Yang and I in the air so I don't see how it couldn't get us all across."

"But what if it doesn't carry all of us?" Chung challenged with crossed arms. "What if one of us doesn't make it across safely?"

"It's the best option we have!" Eve exclaimed; her sudden outburst causing me to squeal. "Elsword, give the Shard to Ara! I do not trust you using its power." She ordered while smacking him on the head.

"Abusive much!" He sneered; flinching as Eve brought her hand up.

"Excuse me?" Eve prepared herself for another loud slap.

Elsword hurriedly dug through his bag," okay, okay, I'm getting the Shard"- he brought out the small pouch-" Ara, catch!"

I clumsily caught the pouch, butterflies fluttered in my stomach at the role I have been given. My team mates looked at me eagerly, waiting for me to activate the Shard's power.

_Keep calm, Ara. _Eun spoke warmly; this gave me some comfort. _Just like last time, just focus on the Shard and let it do its job. I will aid you throughout the journey. _

'Thank you so much, Eun'

"Looks like you losers are ready to leave," Speka said; summoning out her staff. "Since I have no intentions of going on that island I'll just be seeing you guys off."

"Are you sure?" Aisha asked, with a frown. "You can stay with us, I just don't want you to be alone-"

"I'll be fine." Speka cut her off, as she played carelessly with her staff. "If you losers stay safe I'm sure we'll be meeting each other again."

"Did you just call us losers?" Chung piped in irritatingly.

"You should be honoured I called you losers," Speka said, with a wink. "I only call my friends losers."

Chung shook his head at her response," I feel so _honoured_." His voice dripped with sarcasm.

_Come on, Child. It is time for us to leave._

Taking a deep breath in I open the pouch, my stomach turned uncomfortably at the intense power pulsating from the inside. I gingerly take the Shard out, it glistened brightly under the sunlight, like a star in the night sky.

"Chung, can I ride on Yang?" I ask.

"You've barely walked and you're tired already." He muttered, and hopped off of its back. "Such a weak person."

Ignoring his remark, I climb onto Yang's back with my hand tightly gripping onto the Shard, "I need everyone to grab onto Yang." I ordered shakily.

My team did as told, everyone gathered and grabbed a handful of Yang's fur. Yang grunted in discomfort.

"It'll only be for a bit." I whispered to Yang; gently petting it behind the ear.

_Let's get going now. _

I close my eyes, focusing my energy at the small Shard in my hand. Almost instantly the Shard grew warm in my hands, I could feel the wind swirling around us waiting for me to give the next command. Snapping my eyes open I tightened my grip around the the Shard, it gave off a powerful wave in return; as if its telling me its ready to be used.

"Yang," I spoke up shakily; I could feel my heart pounding wildly in my chest. "Walk over the cliff."

The Ancient Phoru hesitated before taking action, my friends' grip on Yang tightened as we approached closer to the cliff's edge; the waves below roared loudly, taunting us with its racing waters.

_Have faith! _Eun ordered. _If you lose faith the Shard will not work. _

Nodding I gesture Yang to pick up the pace, Aisha squealed at the gesture. The wind grew stronger with each step, excitedly welcoming us on the other side of the cliff. I could hear Elsword counting our final steps, I readjust my grip on the Shard as we approached closer.

"Three." Elsword whispered.

The ocean roared loudly from below, calling us to jump into its savage hands.

"Two." Raven piped in.

I could already feel my heart falling into my stomach, every fibre of my body screamed for us to turn back.

"One." I finished.

I held my breath the moment Yang took its first step off the ledge, the strong current of wind instantly supported its paw like a platform. Yang studied the invisible ground carefully before taking another step.

"If you guys are scared close your eyes!" I commanded. Aisha instantly squeezed her eyes shut at the suggestion. I glanced back to see Speka watching in both horror and amazement.

"Bye, Speka!" I waved at her with a small grin.

She broke out of her daze," b-bye guys!" She waved back, forcing on a smile.

Turning my attention back to the islands I gestured Yang to walk faster. My friends yelped as they walked off the cliff, I looked back to see them cowering in fear. Chung was the first to look down, his face drained of colour the instant he realized how high up we were.

"Don't look down," I told them; brushing the strands of hair out of my face. "Focus on the islands!"

"I can't help it!" Chung gasped; forcing his head up to look at me. "I-it feels like I'm about to fall!"

"Just trust me," I smiled. "I'll get you all across, just trust me."

Chung eyes widened at my statement, something sparked in his eyes. There appeared to be pain in his expression. I bit my lip, debating whether or not saying that was a good idea.

"Okay," he replied softly. His response caught me by surprise. " I-I'll trust you"- he smiled warmly at me-" lead the way, Ara."

I quickly turned back, his smile left my face heated and heart pounding-well pounding faster than it was before. My reaction caused the wind to grow in power, I quickly clear my head of thoughts and refocus my attention on the islands.

"Just keep going." I told Yang; using my free hand to brush its fur. "We're almost there."

Just a few more steps and we'll be at Altera, the home to Nasods.


	34. 34

**Hello, reader, I hope you're enjoying Yin Yang so far :D I wanted to let everyone know that chapters will be coming slower from now on. School is starting soon and that means I won't have as much time to write anymore, so expect chapters to come every SECOND week.**

**Sorry for the inconvenience.**

**Let me make it up to you with a virtual cookie.**

***gives you cookie of virtualness***

"Oh sweet land!" Elsword fell on his knees the instant we hit land. "I'll never take you for granted again!"

"I have never been so happy to sit down." Raven was the next to collapse. He laid on the ground sighing in relief.

I place the Shard back into its pouch, I gave myself a pat on the back for the successful trip," I'm glad we all made it back in one piece." I muttered.

I jumped up screaming the instant a fist came colliding into my back, my legs nearly caved in at the sudden impact. Snapping my head back I glare at Chung," what was that for?" I stammered; placing my hand on my beating heart.

"Look at you! You're more shaken up than half of us!" Chung points out with a raised voice. "I bet you were unsure of that plan of yours."

His made my made all eyes turn to me, I bowed my head to hide from the quizzical stares.

"I wasn't unsure"-I lift my head to meet his eyes-"I was just a bit sleepy from last night." I lied praying he won't pry any further.

"That sound believable." He said with sarcasm.

"Don't be so harsh on her," Aisha piped in. "I bet you would be doubtful if you were in her shoes."

"Whatever," Chung crossed his arms tightly together. "I guess she did a pretty good job. After all, no one died during the trip here."

"W-well I probably wouldn't have done it if you hadn't given me the support." I whispered in tone only Chung could hear; he tensed in response. "I-I was glad to hear someone trusted me."

"The altitude made my head loopy." Chung defended, with a bruising punch to the shoulder. "Don't take that personally, freak."

I grind my teeth together at his response. My hands instinctively formed themselves into fists, readying to launch at Chung.

"Please break this nonsense up." Eve popped in between us. "You two can resume this bickering later tonight"-she pushed us apart like the Red Sea-"right now we need to explore the island."

Eve glanced between Chung and I sternly. I could see her hand twitch, preparing to smack us across the face if we object.

"Fine," Chung muttered through clenched teeth.

"Good-"Eve wrapped an arm around me-"let us get going."

I didn't get a chance to say another word before Eve pushed me away from Chung. I took a quick glance back and stuck my tongue out at him; he scrunched his face up in response.

We began walking further into the island without another word or thought. The further we went the more disappointed I grew.

When I heard Altera was the home to Nasods I was expecting to see cities filled with flying cars, hovering buildings, and robotic citizens. Instead the island is covered in fields of dry grass, with a few trees sprouting from the green carpet, and mountains sitting in the horizon; waiting for the sun to set in its rocky terrain.

My interest in the island didn't return until rusted metal parts started appearing. At first there were only bolts and gears laying around; due to the grass they were a bit of a tripping hazard, but soon we began stumbling across rusted Nasod arms, Nasod heads, and even pieces of old buildings.

These metal scraps grew more frequent as we proceeded further in. The serene island for wildlife soon turned into a graveyard of debris, with past ghosts lurking through the forgotten community.

The team staggered behind Eve. It felt wrong for us to proceed before her, she deserves to see the state of Altera more than any of us.

I wonder what Altera was like in the past, I thought to myself. Was it filled with wildlife? Or was it taken over by buildings?

"Everyone, stop." Eve ordered abruptly in a hushed voice.

Everyone froze at the command, Eve quietly gestured us to the rusted remains of a large Nasod. We didn't utter a single word as we hurried to our hiding spot. Eve motioned us to keep quiet once we were all safely hidden from view.

"What's happening?" I asked in a whisper.

"I heard Nasod drillers." Eve replied. She gingerly poked her head out to examine the area. "There's a lot of them."

A cool breeze brushed by. From a distance I could hear the sounds of drills digging into the rocky ground.

"Can't you talk to them?" Aisha asked; wrapping her arms around her knees. "You're the Queen after all."

"I know that." Eve snapped, she nibbled on her fingernails. "I-I just don't know if they will acknowledge me as their Queen."

"Of course they'll acknowledge you." Elsword piped in, scooting himself closer to the Queen. "You're their long lost Queen. I bet they'll be thrilled to see you." He gave her a pat on the back.

Eve pushed his hand away," it's not that easy." She said vaguely.

"What do you-"

Before Elsword could finish Eve walked out from our cover. Elsword quickly grabbed her by the wrist before she could go any further,"where are you going?"

"I am going to try and confront the Nasods." She said, and tried to pull herself free from Elsword's grip. "I cannot allow you guys to be seen, Nasods are not very welcoming of humans."

"We can't just let you go alone," Aisha said-using the Nasod's debris to help herself up. "What if they attack you?"

"They won't," Eve responded almost instantly. "I-I'm their Queen."

"We still need to come along with you." Elsword pushed on. "For your safety, we _need_ to come along with you."

Eve turned her head away from Elsword, her fingers played with a strand of silver hair.

"I can't lose a team mate," Elsword whimpered-Eve's shoulders tensed in response. "I won't let it happen-I can't let it happen."

"I understand," Eve whispered, she knelt down and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "The team may come along but you must not be seen."

"Deal." Elsword glanced back with a victorious smile.

"Follow behind me, and keep quiet." Eve ordered, she poked her head out once more to examine the area. "When I give you the signal stay low and keep quiet."

One by one we followed her out from out hiding spot, and tip toed behind Eve. The drilling grew louder with each careful step, our movements became more slow as a response.

"Stop here," Eve whispered; holding out her hand to stop us. "Lay in the grass and stay. I'm going to confront them now."

"Be careful." Elsword spoke in a hushed voice.

Eve sent us a thumbs up before proceeding further on her own. We gingerly got to our stomachs. The grass hummed softly with each motion.

"What will we do about Yang?" Aisha asked. "Ancient Phorus aren't exactly small."

I glanced back to see Aisha's point. While the rest of us are safely covered by the grass, Yang is still exposed to any nearby enemies. There's no way we can hide an Ancient Phoru here.

"We'll just have to pray that there are no Nasods here," I said; readjusting myself on the ground. "Just stay quiet and listen."

Another cool breeze brushed by. The grass swayed its slender body, dancing and singing along with the wind.

"Fellow Nasods." I could hear Eve speaking loudly. The sounds of drilling stopped. "If you do not remember I am Eve, Queen of the Nasods."

My ears rung with anticipation for the Nasods' response.

"Our Queen?" One of the Nasods responded. "We do not have a Queen."

"I think we do." Another joined in. "Remember? The little Queen of the Nasods."

"Y-yes, it is me." Eve stammered. "I have returned to Altera."

I strained my ears to pick up on any more sounds. I sprung onto my feet the moment Eve started screaming. Our team hurried up and charged at Eve's direction. I quickly mounted Yang and ran after everyone.

"Eve!" Raven cried out; drawing his sword out. He came to an abrupt stop once the Nasods came into sight.

The group of Nasods stood closely together, there appears to be twenty in total. Each had drills for hands, one was lunged forward with its drill grinding into the Altera ground. Eve was pushed back from the group, barely kept up by her drones, her face frozen with horror.

"So many Nasods." Elsword muttered to himself, he cautiously brought his hands back to grab his swords. "We've never seen so many Nasods in one place."

Eve cleared her voice loudly, catching the Nasods' attention," why did you attack?" She asked; readjusting her footing. "Why did you attack your own Queen?" She trembled.

The Nasod drilling the ground pulled its arm out, it pointed its rusted weapon at Eve.

"Queen?" It sneered. "We do not serve the Queen-especially a Queen who has brought humans on the island!"

The remaining Nasods turned their attention to us, we positioned ourselves for an attack. The Nasods took a step closer, holding up their drills like a prized trophy.

"Take these humans and get off the island, traitor!" The Nasod roared. The group of Nasods cheered in response, we readied ourselves as the group came charging at us.

"Yang, charge!" On my command Yang sprinted at the group, growling as the Nasods activated their weapons.

I hopped off of Yang's back, positioning myself at the first half of the group I launched the attack," Suppression!" I slammed my spear on the ground, causing the Nasods around me fall. "Shadow Press!" I encircled myself with a dark energy, the dark power cutting through the Nasods like tissue paper.

"Sword Fall!" Elsword's attack stabbed through the incoming Nasods. With both swords tightly grasped in his hands Elsword proceeds to slash through the machines, taking each one down with ease.

"Magic Missile!" A ball of energy launches at the Nasods, hovering around them like an obnoxious bee.

Chung charged at the group head on, easily running over the enemies.

"Call your Nasods off!" I could hear Eve begging. At the corner of my eye I could see her backing away from a lone Nasod"Please, I do not wish to hurt you Nasods."

The Nasod ignored her, continuing to inch closer and closer to the Queen. Eve's drones stood protectively in front of her, knowing they cannot reason with the Nasod.

"Seven Burst!" Raven launched seven fireballs out of his Nasod arm. Eve gasped at the attack, her eyes widening in horror. The Nasod's body thrashed violently in the fire before falling limp on the ground.

Snapping her head at Raven she screams," what did you do that for?!" Her fingers curled like a withered plant.

Raven lowered his arm," you can't reason with it." He replied, not looking Eve in the eyes. "If I hadn't destroyed it you would've gotten severely hurt."

Eve's eyes reddened at his statement, she quickly wiped her eyes dry before anyone else could notice," I can reason with them." She added with a monotone expression. "I am their Queen, they must listen to me."

_Ara, pay attention!_

Eun took over before I could react, we quickly stepped aside barely avoiding the charging Nasod. Eun thrust our spear deep into the Nasod's head, the Nasod stopped responding almost instantly.

"Your team mates have destroyed the majority of the group." Eun pointed to the field of fallen Nasods. "You are lucky this was a small group."

'Thanks, Eun.'

_You must pay attention to the battle, one day this bad habit of yours will get you into deep trouble. _

Regaining control I hurry to regroup with the others. Everyone was sweating and trying to catch their breaths.

Eve turned away the moment we were all gathered," I apologize for the Nasods' rude actions." She spoke in a barely audible tone.

"It wasn't your fault." I said, in hopes of cheering her up.

"It is my fault!" Eve snapped-her outburst made me jump back. "As their Queen I should've taken action to stop them."

"Eve-"

She shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose with a sigh,"once again I apologize for their actions."

"It's fine, Eve." Elsword spoke up with a toothy grin. "I bet those Nasods are just part of the dumb generation that doesn't know of you."

I expected Eve to slap Elsword for calling Nasods dumb, but she didn't respond violently this time. Instead she nodded and kept quiet. No one uttered a single word, no one knew what to say to comfort her.

I could hear a scrap of metal falling somewhere.

"H-hey let's get back to exploring!" Aisha suggested, her eyes searched for someone to agree with her. "I-I bet there's much more to see on this island!"

"G-good idea," I piped in, Aisha mouthed a quick thank you at me." I bet we can find some pretty awesome things up ahead!"

My face heated with embarrassment at the lack of response. Maybe I should've stayed quiet and let someone else pipe in.

Aisha tightly linked arms with me," awesome things?" She whispered into my ear. "Is that the best you've got?"

"I'm not good at cheering people up," I mutter with a frown. "At least I'm trying though."

"At least you tried," Aisha sighed-letting my arm go. "Come on, guys. We can't just stand here all day, we've got to do something."

"There's a lot to take in, but we need to keep moving." I stammered. "Nothing will be solved if we sit around like logs."

"You guys are right." Elsword finally spoke up-he put his swords away. "Eve, I know it's hard for you to be attacked by those Nasods"-he hesitantly step toward her-"but if they attack again we'll need to fight back. Especially _if_ they have the El Shard in their hands."

"I know that," she cried; wrapping her arms around herself. "Can't you see I can't attack them? I thought those Nasods were destroyed; can't you see it's hard for me to even lay a finger on them?"

I wanted to give Eve a big hug, to tell her we'll be here for her; to show her she doesn't have to go through this alone, but I knew she would not like that. Eve wouldn't appreciate it if I showed everyone her weakness-although we all know it by now.

"Come on, let's just go." Chung grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the team.

"What are you doing?" I growled; pulling my arm free from his grip. I could see Yang running to catch up with us at the corner of my eye.

"The tension back there is toxic." He replied. "We should start looking for a safe place to sleep before the sun goes down."

I raised my brow," and why do I have to come along with you?"

"I need a dog like you to sniff out some food." His remark angered Eun, it took me a great amount of effort to keep Eun calm.

"You look constipated." Chung said; punching me on my bruised shoulder. "There's a bush over there if you need to-"

"Shut it!" I cut him off, using the last of my strength to keep Eun under control. "Can you give me a break? Eun is literally inches away from attacking you."

Chung chuckled," I'm surprised that fox hasn't attacked me yet."

_I can't wait to get my fangs on you. _

My body shuttered at the surge of energy rushing through me, threatening to take over. I could faintly feel the nine tails growing from behind.

"Tell me about it." I muttered, stepping away from Chung. "At least you aren't the one trying to hold Eun back from murdering you. You have no idea how difficult it is to keep Eun still."

"I see." His short answer caught my attention. It's not often he replies back with a simple 'I see'.

I glanced up at him, his weary blue eyes staring blankly ahead of us. I couldn't help but feel worried, the obnoxious Chung I know is loud, sarcastic, and scornful. Right now he is everything but loud, I wonder what's bothering him. It's not like him to get lost in thought.

_Child, as much as I'd like to bite into this kid's throat-_

'He has a name y'know.'

Eun ignores my comment, _I sense something is nearby. _

I drew my attention to the surrounding area, straining all my senses to pick up any signs of danger. I stopped in my tracks at the smell of blood. Chung seemed to notice my sudden change in behaviour. He glanced back at me with curiosity.

"I can smell blood." I told him, my eyes darted around the grass filled grounds.

"Are you sure it's not just another Nasod?" He asks.

I shrug," I'll go check just in case."

Sprinting into the open field I hurriedly study the area, trying to find the source. I dart around the field desperately looking for signs of life, like a lion searching for its next meal.

My eyes stopped at the small white fur ball laying in the swaying grass. It may just be an injured animal but after meeting the lizardmen I'm not taking any chances.

I quickly glide to the fallen creature, upon arriving my suspicions were proved correct. Laying in the grass was a small furry creature, it wore a green cap with a flash light attached, a matching green vest, and an old backpack with books spilled from the opened bag. I cringed at the sight of the creature's cut leg, blood oozed from the open wound.

My hands grew cold at the puddle of blood sinking into the dirt. The wound itself may not kill the creature, but the loss of blood will. If it continues to bleed there's no doubt the creature will die.

I gently shake the creature," excuse me." I spoke softly. "Are you okay?"

The creature began stirring, I scoot myself back a little as it began awakening. Almost instantly the tiny creature began crying out in pain, its small fingers grasping tightly onto the grass.

"Hold on tight, my friends have bandages!" Before I could get up and call for help the tiny creature spoke up.

"W-who are you?" It asked in a hoarse whisper, it could barely keep its eyes open to look at me. "How did you get on the island?"

"I-I'm Ara, I'm part of a Red Knight party." I answered vaguely. "We're here to get an important object back."

The creature's tired eyes sparked with interest," Red Knight party?" He quoted. "What's that?"

I was a bit taken aback from the creature's question," Red Knights are people who fight to protect others." I explained in a rush. "We fight all sorts of villains and demons."

"That's...cool." The creature began drifting to sleep. At this point I began to panic.

"Little guy, don't sleep!" I gently nudged his cheek. He could barely respond to me, his eye lids daring to shut themselves.

Hesitantly I bit into the sleeve of the robe Buch gave me, ripping off a strand of its sleeve-I hope Buch won't mind me ruining such a beautiful robe.

"Stay awake! Don't go to sleep!" I stammered; shakily wrapping the piece of clothing around the creature's bleeding leg. "You haven't told me your name yet." I added; hoping a small conversation will help the creature stay awake.

"Name?" He muttered. "I'm Amos, my big sister is Agatha."

"I'm going to pick you up now." I informed Amos, he bobbed his head up and down. "So tell me"-I gingerly picked Amos up-"what's your sister like?"

"She's nice," Amos snuggled closer to me the instant I took off into a sprint. "She doesn't like it when I go off by myself to read." Amos' eye lids drooped lower.

I stopped myself, my eyes darting around the foreign surroundings. I could feel my legs weakening at the empty field.

I take a deep breath in, trying to keep myself calm. Nothing good will happen if I panic now.

"Ara, do you think sis will be mad at me?"

"She won't be mad." I said, quickly glancing down to smile at him. "She might be a bit upset, but that's because she's worried about you."

"Really?" Amos' voice grew weaker. "I...really...hope...she'll..."

Amos started drifting off, this caused me to worry even more," don't sleep!" I urged him. "You can't sleep! Your sister is waiting for you to come home, you can't just leave her alone!"

"Sis? Is...she...here?"

"Y-yeah." In the distance I could see my team running toward us-Aisha could be seen hopping onto her staff. "She's coming right now to see you! So stay awake!"

Amos didn't respond, I glanced down to see his little head slumping into my arms. I bit back my tears. I can't have this little guy dying on me. He still has a whole future ahead of him and a family who is waiting for him to return.

"Eun!" I cried out.

I could feel Eun's power running through me, my nine tails swayed wildly behind me. Using all the strength Eun and I had I glide back to my team, with Amos tightly cradled in my arms.


	35. 35

I reached everyone just in time, the instant my team set eyes on the dying creature in my arms they took action. Elsword and Eve went off to get some water while Aisha and Chung gave it immediate medical attention. Raven and I were left on guard duty, looking out for any stray Nasods wanting to harm us-Yang was also helping us out.

Raven and I sat in silence, listening as Chung and Aisha rushed to stop the bleeding. I would occasionally glance back to see a pile of blood soaked medical supplies. The thought of operating on the creature made my stomach turn, how Aisha and Chung can stay so calm during the whole thing is beyond me.

The operation went by in a blur. I was too busy keeping myself from vomiting than paying attention to the drama behind me.

Eve and Elsword returned with some water at some point, Aisha scolded them both for being late before returning to Amos. While Aisha and Chung put some final touches on Amos, Eve, Elsword, and Raven had a quiet conversation. I didn't bother joining in, I was too dazed to focus on their talk.

I couldn't help but ponder at the fact that I saved a life. If I hadn't found Amos he might have died already, for the first time I successfully helped someone. I smiled proudly to myself, if only Aren was here to see my success. I bet he'd be proud of me too.

Leaning back on Yang I looked up at the sky, white clouds stretched along the blue sky like a bird's wings. I wonder if Mother and Father are up there, watching over me each and everyday. I wish I could see them again, I really want to show them how much I've grown and learned.

"Yo," Chung greeted-sitting himself down beside me. "Why are you so quiet?"

I shrugged," just lost in thought."

"You've been doing that a lot lately." He said matter-of factly, he leaned back on Yang. "Here I thought you're always loud and annoying."

I could say the same thing about you, I wanted to say. Instead I kept my mouth shut.

"The little furry dude was literally on death's door, y'know?" Chung's comment caught my attention. "If you were a second later he would've died."

Good job, Ara, you finally saved someone's life. If only you had this strength back then, Mother and Father would still be here if you were strong back then. I thought grimly to myself.

Chung's eyes wandered to my ripped sleeve," you ruined the robe." He held the ripped sleeve in between his fingers. "You seemed to really like it too."

I shuffled myself a few inches away from him. I didn't expect him to notice, I guess I've underestimated Chung.

"I'm sure Buch wouldn't mind." I shrugged; pulling my sleeve away from him. "I can always borrow Aisha or Eve's robe."

"At least you didn't rip your other robe." He said, referring to the one I usually wear. "That thing looks like it costed a fortune."

"I can always make another one."

"You'd be poor-" He paused. "Wait, you made that one?"

I nod," it took some time but I did it." I smiled, beaming with pride at my work. "It's not everyday you meet someone who made their own clothes!"

Something sparked in Chung's eyes. He quickly turned his head away, as if he could see the emotion reflecting off his eyes," yeah." He responds without looking at me.

"Hey you can't get up yet!" Aisha's voice caught our attention.

I poke my head out to see the small furry creature struggling to get up, wincing at his bandaged leg. "Careful, buddy." She placed her hand on his back.

"I'm not dead?" He thought out loud. Perking his head up his eyes widened at Eve and Raven," Nasods!" He squirmed into Aisha's arms, his body tensed as he moved his injured leg.

"Quit moving!" Aisha held him still. "You'll reopen your wound!"

Amos shook his head," Nasods! T-there's Nasods here!" He looked at Aisha with pleading eyes. "Please let me go! I-I'll do anything."

"Little guy, please calm down-"

"I don't want to die!" Amos thrashed in Aisha's arms. "Please"-he tensed as he moved his leg again-"I need to go home! Please let me go!"

"Hey stop moving!" Aisha desperately tried to keep him calm, but her efforts proved to be useless. "You'll hurt yourself even further!"

"Amos!" I called out, hurrying to Aisha's side.

The little creature froze at the sound of his name. He snapped his head to me, his eyes lit up at my familiar face," Sister Ara!" Held his hands out to me. "Please help me!" He begged in the verge of tears.

I gestured Aisha to let him go, reluctantly she freed him from her grip. Amos crashed into my arms. I gently wrap my arms around Amos, allowing him to cry on my shoulder.

"It's okay," I whispered to him. "Everyone here is friendly, they're my team mates."

"Team mates?" Amos asked between sobs.

"Yeah, we all helped you out." I point to Aisha. "This is Aisha, she's a very pretty and smart magician. She helped patch you up."

Amos sheepishly turned to face Aisha, she waved at him with a toothy smile. Amos returned the gesture.

"Chung is the guy behind the Ancient Phoru-the Phoru's name is Yang." I gestured to them.

Amos squirmed in arms the instant he set eyes on Yang. I gave his shoulder a reassuring squezze before continuing, " Chung may seem like a meanie but he's actually really nice. He also helped patch you up."

Chung scoffed at my description of him-what a way to make a first impression.

Amos giggled," he's like my big sister!"

He does look like a girl, I wanted to say, but decided against it. I can tease him about that later.

"Over here we have our team leader Elsword," I gestured to the remaining team members. "The girl with white hair is Eve and the guy with black hair is Raven."

Amos tensed instantly at the sight of Raven and Eve," t-they're Nasods!" He accused. Raven frowned at his label. "Nasods are bad, Sister Ara! They hurt us Ponggos!"

"Ponggos?" Elsword echoed. "Is that what you are?"

Amos bobbed his head up and down," Nasods hurt me!" He points at Eve and Raven. "They're bad guys! They'll hurt you, don't let them trick you!"

"Why would Nasods hurt you?" I asked.

"I don't know," he said, he buried his face in his hands. "They just hurt us Ponggos. It's because we're not Nasods, if we were they wouldn't hurt us."

"Relax," Eve spoke up. This caused Amos to squeal in fear, Eve's eyes softened on him," I promise I will not hurt you. As the Queen of Nasods I will make sure my kind will respect Ponggos."

Maybe revealing Eve's royal status to Amos wasn't the greatest idea, this caused Amos to panic even more," Queen?! That means you can call an army of Nasods to hurt us!" He hugged me tightly. "I don't want my village to be hurt anymore! Please take the Queen away!"

"They won't hurt you." Chung quickly piped in, helping himself up from behind Yang. "These two have fought along side with us for a long time. They are trustworthy friends."

"F-friends?" Amos seemed shocked at the way Chung labelled Eve and Raven.

"Yeah, they're really good friends." Aisha agreed. "They're also really nice."

"If I am to ever betray you," Eve began loudly. "You all have my permission to kill me!"

"Although I'm not a Nasod," Raven joined in through clenched teeth. "You guys also have permission to kill me if I betray the team."

"I still don't know." Amos played with his fingers.

"Don't worry, kid." Elsword grinned childishly, he wrapped his arms around Eve and Raven. "These two have never let me down once! They're one of the most trustworthy friends I have."

"Why not give those two a chance?" I asked with a smile. "You'll learn to really like them afterwards."

Amos bowed his head," I guess I can try trusting them." He said hesitantly. "If they _do_ attack, everyone here will be able to protect me."

We breathed a sigh of relief at his response. The last thing we need is Amos pointing fingers at our team mates for attacking his kind.

"So where are all the other Ponggos?" Aisha asked; packing up the medical supplies.

"They're in the village," Amos paused. "It's underground."

"Underground?" Chung's eyes widened with amazement. "Would it be possible for our team to stay in your village?"

"We need a place to sleep while we're here." Elsword clarified.

"I don't know," Amos glanced between Eve and Raven. "My village might not like them there."

"It'll be fine." I piped in. "Once we tell them who we are and what we do, they'll definitely let us stay."

"We can also protect the village from intruders in return." Elsword added with a wink, he gestured to the duo swords resting on his back.

"When you put it _that_ way I guess the villagers won't mind." Amos said; clasping his hands together.

"Sweet," Elsword sprung up to his feet. "Lead the way, little guy."


	36. 36

"We're here!" Amos announced excitedly. "Guys, I welcome you to the Ponggo village!" He said; gesturing to the large metal doors on the mountain side.

The metal doors were in poor condition, multiple scratch marks could be seen covering the metal surface, with a few dents engraved in.

"Your village is a door?" Elsword asks; rubbing his eyes. "So where's the food at?"

Eve slapped Elsword loudly in response," do not act so rude, peasant!" She scolds. "How would you like it if someone accused your home of being a simple door?"

"But what if his village is a door?" This earned Elsword another painful slap to the face.

Amos laughed loudly at their remarks," my village isn't a door, silly!" He said through giggles. "My village is beyond the doors!"

Chung leans closer to me," this is what happens when we have to walk non stop for a couple of hours." He whispers.

I bit back a giggle," I can't imagine what it'll be like if we had to stay up all night." I reply in a hushed voice.

Amos hopped off of Yang's back," I hope you guys don't mind living under ground!" He said; approaching the set of doors.

We watch as Amos pushed against the set of doors, unfortunately his efforts proved to be useless. The set of doors remained firmly shut despite his efforts. Seeing Amos struggle to get the doors open was quite amusing, but we were all too desperate to get some rest to enjoy the little guy's struggle.

"Move," Raven said; cracking his knuckles.

Amos sheepishly steps aside. Raven placed both his hands on the door, taking a deep breath in he began to push against the doors. Both the metal doors swung open in response. Inside we could see a dimly lit stair way. I could faintly make out the sound of drills echoing from the inside.

"You want to lead the way, kid?" Raven asks.

Nodding Amos hurries to the village entrance," watch your step, it's a bit dark in here." He warns before making his way in.

The team filed in behind him, I made my way in last to help guide Yang in. Closing the metal doors behind me I begin to guide my Phoru down the stone steps, Yang grunted with discomfort at the narrow entrance way.

"C'mon," I gestured to the dim light up ahead. "We're almost there."

Yang hesitated for a bit before continuing down, I gave it a reassuring pat along the way. As we proceeded further into the stairway I could hear a faint voice booming ahead, something tells me that we've run into more trouble.

"Unacceptable, Nasods are not welcomed in our village!" The voice exclaims angrily. "I will not accept these guests!"

"Let's hurry." I tell Yang.

We hurry down the last few steps, Yang slows down its pace the moment we reached the very last step. I could now make out the buildings within the village and the little furry creatures gathering around my team. The Ponggos began to scream as Yang and I made our entrance, I scratched Yang behind the ear in hopes of giving it some comfort.

"What's happening now?" The voice grunts.

Yang stepped back as a small Ponggo approached us, its eyes widening the instant it got a good look at my furry friend.

"You brought a demon as well? Are you crazy?" He screams, the villagers backed away from us in fear.

"Yang is good!" Amos came running after the angry Ponggo. "Chief, please don't be afraid!"

The chief gave Amos a disapproving look," Amos, you know better than to bring Nasods and demons into the village."

"They saved me." He clarified, this caused several gasps in the crowd. "Everyone here saved me!"

"Saved you?" The chief sneered. "Why would a demon and two Nasods save you?"

"Because they're the good guys!" Amos tightened his fists. "Chief, if it weren't for them I would've been dead!"

The chief ignores his statement, turning his attention back to us he says," what do you people want with us?" He asks, with his eyes narrowed.

I could hear Aisha quietly ushering Elsword to say something-at a time like this you'd think he'd act more professionally.

Elsword clears his voice," we are simply here to take back an important item." His answer made the chief raise his brow. "We also happen to be a Red Knight party, this means we can also help your village with any problems you may be dealing with."

"Red Knight party, eh?" The chief quoted. "I've heard of you folks, you Red Knights have quite a reputation for helping folks like us."

My nerves relaxed at his response, maybe now he'll finally come to trust us.

"It's a shame how down hill you people have gone." He adds on-shaking his head.

"Excuse me?" I blurt out, instantly regretting my decision as the chief locked eyes with me.

"What would you like to say, young lady?" He lowers his voice, his eyes challenging me to continue.

Taking a sharp breath in I went on," I don't understand what you mean. How have our people gone down hill?"

The chief began to pace slowly," Red Knights are known to be heroes, they are supposed to fight against danger"-he gestures to our team-"now look at you, bringing in demons and Nasods, you people are disgusting."

"Don't call my team disgusting." Aisha piped in. "You know nothing about our team. We're all capable to fighting against danger."

"You are capable of bringing in danger. I don't mind the demon as much, but I cannot allow those two Nasods stay here." He barked, and pointed at Eve and Raven. "I ask that the two Nasods leave my village. They are not welcomed here."

I could feel anger pumping through my veins, this chief knows nothing about our team and yet he's treating our team members like trash. If I could I would teach him a painful lesson, he has no right to talk badly about my friends.

"No!" Amos screamed, the Ponggos around jumped in surprise at his out burst. "They walked all the way over here with me. We can't just kick them out."

"And I cannot allow Nasods to be welcomed here in this village." The chief said, he raised his chin. "If you really wish to keep these people here then they must stay at your house, I do not wish to purposely waste my time with these people."

Amos ran to Yang's side, hugging the Phoru tightly around the leg he responds," fine, they'll be staying at my house."

The chief shook his head at the response," this new generation is hopeless." He mutters.

Turning his back to us he gestures the villagers to return to their daily routines. Whispers erupt in the crowd as the villagers dispatch, I could see fear reflecting off their eyes. I understand they are afraid of Nasods but it's still rude of them to treat our team like this-we haven't done anything to them.

"However," the chief adds on." If those two Nasods cause any trouble you and your sister will take the blame for their destruction."

"Fine," Amos replied. Without another exchange of words the chief turns away and began his way home.

"Well that was...dramatic." Aisha said, in a hushed voice. "Who knew we'd get so much hate?"

"D-don't mind the villagers!" Amos piped in-smiling. "Once they see how cool you guys are they'll be more than happy to have you here!"

"That's if they see us do something _cool_." Elsword said matter-of factly. "For now let's just head back to your place, there's a lot we need to talk about."

"I'll lead the way!" Amos chimed.

The Ponggo village has got to be the most interesting place I have ever step foot in, not only are all the villagers little Ponggos, but these small creatures are able to make such a magnificent village underground.

You'd think such small creatures would make their homes small to fit their size, but instead they have created houses resembling those on the surface. Along the way to Amos' house I noticed the village is divided up into different levels, the tallest levels are where all the stores are while the lower ones are where the houses are. All around I could hear drills digging into the ground, miners walked throughout the village carrying large bags of ores.

These Ponggos may be little but they sure are hard workers. I bet they'd function fine in the human society.

"And we're here!" Amos gestures proudly to the two story house. "This is where you guys will be staying!" He turns his attention to me. "We have a ton of space inside so your Phoru can come in too!"

"That sounds great!" I reply, while patting Yang on the head.

"You guys must be exhausted. We'll get dinner started right away!" Amos exclaimed as he unlocks the door.

The sound of food made all our stomachs growl with joy, I'm not sure what these guys eat but anything sounds delicious right now. I followed my team mates inside, eager to finally have a place to rest.

"Finally a couch to sit on!" Elsword cheers, he flopped onto the large red couch in what appears to be a living room.

I watched in defeat as my team mates took up the entire couch, leaving me with only the ground to sit on," geez, thanks guys." I rolled my eyes as I sat myself down.

"It's your fault for being slow." Aisha said with a wink. "At least you can lean on Yang!" She points to the phoru curling up behind me.

"It's not the same," I mutter, while resting myself against Yang.

"Quit complaining, at least you don't have to sit beside sweaty Raven." Chung grunts, this causes Raven to give him all sorts of nasty looks.

"Let's not break into fight now," Aisha quickly interjects. "We can beat each other up after we get through the night."

"You guys are lucky." Amos piped in, with a large box held in his hands. "We have a bunch of pizza left over from yesterday. I hope you guys don't mind eating cold."

"You guys have pizza down here?" Elsword asked, with a toothy grin. "I thought you guys ate bugs or something."

I know I said anything would've sounded good at this point, but I've got to draw the line on bugs. I can barely stand being around a bug nevertheless eat one.

"We do eat bugs, but we also have a bunch of other foods." He explained; opening up the pizza box. "The only thing we don't eat is meat, so some of the food may taste different for you guys."

"As long as it doesn't have bugs the pizza will be fine." I said; rubbing my growling stomach. "Let's get eating already."

The team devoured the entire pizza box within minutes, we didn't realize all the slices were gone until Amos pointed it out to us. Although my stomach wasn't completely full yet I was still satisfied with dinner, at least I won't have to go to bed starving.

I laid on the floor lazily after our quick meal, my eye lids urged me desperately to get some shut eye. Today has been a very long and tiring day and I think we all deserve some sleep tonight. I could already see Raven falling asleep-Aisha also seems to be having trouble keeping her eyes open.

"Now that we aren't starving ourselves to death." Elsword stated in a more serious tone. "Tell us about the relationship between Nasods and you Ponggos."

"Do you really have to ask now?" Aisha whined; leaning against Elsword. "We're all so tired."

"W-we also need to know what's troubling the village"-he pushed her off him-"Now can you guys please stay awake for just a bit longer?"

Groaning in annoyance we sit ourselves back up, Elsword briefly thanked us before continuing," has there ever been a time when the Nasods came in your village to attack? If so do you know the reason for the invasion?"

Amos folded his tiny hands together," yes, they have attacked us but it wasn't in the village." He began. "My sister told me us Ponggos used to love leaving the village, I was told that we used the land above us to plant food, play sports, and even go exploring."

"You don't do that anymore?" I blurt out.

Amos shook his head," the only time we can go up to the surface is when we need to fix the doors or when we sneak out-like I do."

It must be sad to not be able to leave your village, to not be able to go outside to explore the land, and enjoy all that nature can offer you. I can't imagine living a life being isolated underground, I'd probably go mad.

"Anyways, the Nasods and Ponggos never really interacted. We didn't bother them and they didn't bother us, that is until the day of the attack." Amos' shoulders tensed." From what sis' told me the Nasods attacked the Ponggos that were on the surface, saying we needed to be eliminated for more space."

"More space?" Eve repeated, and began to play with her fingers. "In the past, were there more Ponggos than Nasods?"

Amos shrugged," there were a bit more before the attack, but we never outnumbered the Nasods or anything." He clarified. "Sis' didn't go into detail on the attack, but she did say many Ponggos tried fighting back. We lost many good friends during the fight and soon the chief ordered us to close off our access to the outside world, that's when the isolation began."

"Do the Nasods try attacking you guys now?" Elsword asked.

Amos nods," sometimes they'd try to break our doors down, but so far none has successfully entered the village. The chief fears that they will be able to enter one day and wipe out the remaining Ponggos."

That would explain the poor condition of those doors.

"A-are you afraid of that happening?" Aisha's question made Amos grow quiet.

"Yes," Amos wraps his arms around himself. "I don't want to die, I want to live a happy life with my sister."

I hesitated for a moment before asking," where are your parents in all of this?"

"Sis' said they fought in the battle with the Nasods." He answered; bowing his head.

From that simple response we all knew what has become of them. "Sis' went to help them but she was able to make it back." He added.

"I-I'm so sorry for your kind," Raven muttered, he rested his head on his hands. "To think a kid like you has to live like this, that's just terrible."

"You okay, man?" Chung casually rests his arm on Raven's shoulder. "You don't look so good."

"Yeah, I just feel a bit...sick." He said, with his hands running through his hair. "Maybe it's just the fatigue talking, I'm just not feeling that great right now."

"You should rest up, Raven." Aisha suggests. "We've had a crazy day."

"I hope it wasn't because of the pizza." Amos sheepishly played with his fingers. "It did stay out over night."

Raven perked his head up, smiling he said," it's not the pizza, kid. I'm probably just tired, don't worry too much about it."

"If you say so," Amos responded with a frown. "I still have my bets on the pizza."

"Back onto the Nasod topic," Eve interjected. "H-have you noticed anything different with the Nasods recently?"

Amos thought for a moment before responding," they have been a bit more active. When I snuck out I noticed a group of Nasods preparing something, they said they had to get all the preparations done for the King's revival."

Eve's eyes narrowed at the response," I see." Her drones nudged her cheeks gently, as if trying to comfort her. "Are they also causing more trouble for the village?"

"Yeah," Amos rocked back and forth on the ground. "They've been attempting to get in the village more, just last night we had them making a ruckus at the doors again."

"So the King has caused more activity in the Nasods," Eve pondered out loud. "As the Queen it is my duty to keep these Nasods in line." She rises from her seat, her two drones hovering closely beside her. "I promise I will use all my power to calm these Nasods down, as their Queen I must keep them from causing any more trouble."

"Wow!" Amos' eyes sparked with amazement. "You're so cool!"

I have to admit, seeing Eve so fired up to keep her Nasods on the right track is something amazing to see. She constantly reminds us of her royal status, but I don't think I've seen her take on responsibilities of a Queen up until now.

"Amos!" A voice sounds loudly from the entrance. Our heads turned curiously at the sound of the new voice. "I'm home!" The owner of the voice can be heard dropping what sounds to be like a tool box.

"Welcome home, Agatha." Amos calls back to her. "We have guests here."

"Guests?" A taller Ponggo with tan fur walks into the living room; her mining clothes smeared with dirt.

"These guys saved me today-"

"Saved?" She quotes; shaking her head. "Did you go sneaking out the village again?"

Amos scratched his head sheepishly. His gesture reminds me of the days where Aren would catch me stealing his toys. I would always cower away and pray that he would just forget it.

"Um maybe?" Amos gave her an uneasy smile.

His sister shakes her head in disappointment," how many times do I have to tell you to stay in the village? You know it's dangerous up there." She scolds him like an upset mother. "The next time I find out you're sneaking out I'll be taking your books away for a month."

"A month?" Amos eyes widened with horror. "That's not fair, all I want to do is explore. Why do you have to take my books away?"

I have never heard of a punishing a kid by taking his books away, Amos must be the few kids who actually enjoy reading.

"It's what I have to do to keep you safe." She said, ignoring her brother's attempt to make puppy dog eyes.

Agatha scanned the room, carefully examining us like animals at a zoo. Her eyes came to an abrupt stop at Raven, she quickly doubled back in response.

"You," she said weakly. "I remember you."

Raven's face started to turn pale the instant he locked eyes with Agatha. He quickly bowed his head, while Agatha narrowed her eyes at him.

"You," Raven's voice came out hoarse, he ran his hands through his hair. "I-it can't be."

Agatha pulled her brother closely to her, wrapping her arms protectively around him," I remember you." She repeats herself. "I can still remember that monstrous face of yours."

Raven doesn't respond, instead he buries his face in his hands as if he is trying to hide himself from her and everyone else in this room.

Agatha cursed at him," I can never forget you no matter how hard I try!" She spat, tears threatening to fall from her reddened eyes.

What she said next shocked all of us, it left us speechless, shaking, and confused. I could feel the pizza I ate earlier threatening to make a second appearance as she spoke the next words.

"I can never forget the face of the one who killed my parents."


	37. 37

"I can never forget the face of the one who killed my parents."

Our team quickly grew quiet at Agatha's accusation, I began to feel nauseous at the new information. There no way _our_ Raven killed their parents, then again, I haven't known him for all my life so it is possible that he committed such a crime in his past.

I glanced over at Raven, hoping he'd say something to prove Agatha wrong, but he didn't. Instead he sat in silence, with his head hanging down. I could feel Eun's warmth surrounding me, giving me the comfort I need in this situation.

Aisha was the first to break the thick layer of silence," i-is that true?" She asked him shakily; Elsword wrapped his arm around her to comfort her.

"I-I don't know," Raven replied, he shook his head. "I-I don't think so, I-I can't remember." Raven tightened his fists, he cried out in frustration.

Agatha scoffed at him," what a pathetic man," she spat out. "You can't even remember the crimes you have committed."

I could see Chung glaring icily at Agatha," stop talking to him like that!" He said in a raised voice. "Raven could never do something like that. I know he wouldn't."

"Chung," Aisha placed her hand on his shoulder. "We don't know if that's true."

"You know Raven wouldn't do something like that." He tightened his fists. "He can't do something like that."

"Chung," Raven spoke up softly-we all turned to face him, eager to hear what he has to say. "Not even I can reassure you my innocence."

Chung shook his head in disbelief," I can't believe such a thing!" He exclaimed, as he helped himself up. "If you need me I'll be outside."

"You can deny this fact all you want, boy." Agatha called out to him. "But the truth will not change."

Chung didn't reply to her, instead he stormed out the house without taking another glance back. I could understand his anger, even I understand that it's hard to accept the fact that one of my friends could've murdered these Ponggos' parents.

"Sis', they're good people." Amos said in a hushed voice, he hugged his sister tightly. "They wouldn't hurt us."

Agatha sighed," I bet these people are good, but that Crow Rider is nothing but trouble. He is the only one here I cannot forgive." She ruffled her brother's fur. "I'm sorry you had to hear all of that."

"Raven didn't kill our parents. I know he didn't." He cried, he buried his face into his sister's shirt. "He wouldn't do such a horrible thing."

Even though I did not commit this horrible crime, I couldn't help but feel guilty. Raven is part of the team and it almost feels wrong for us to be here. We were the ones who brought him into this village, and it doesn't matter if he did or did not kill their parents, because in the end we brought back all the pain to these siblings.

Amos' crying only made me feel worse, if I stay here any longer I'm going to lose my mind. Helping myself up I quietly excuse myself from the team. I gingerly opened the door and helped myself out, even from the outside I can hear the muffled cry of Amos.

"Hey," Chung greeted wearily, he was sat cross-legged on the ground. "What are you doing out here?"

"I couldn't stay in there any longer." I respond, while helping myself down beside him. "Hearing Amos crying only made it worse."

Silence fell between us, the sounds of drills were the only thing to fill in the void. I watched as the villagers walked blissfully around the village, oblivious of the tension resting within the house.

I wish I could be as carefree as them right now, I really don't like having to face this drama-no one wants to learn that their friend was once a murderer.

"I don't believe Raven killed the parents," Chung whispered. I glanced over at him, doubt could be seen in his tired eyes. "I've known Raven for quite sometime now and I know he's not a bad person."

"Just because he's a good person now doesn't mean he was a good person in his past." I reply hesitantly, Chung tensed at my answer but didn't say anything. "None of us want to accept the fact that he killed the parents, I don't think anyone would want to think of their friend that way."

"I know," Chung spoke through clenched teeth-I could see his fists tightening as he went on. "I guess it's hard for me to accept the fact that Raven could've killed them."

"Yeah, I think-" Chung cut me off.

"Y'know this team is really important to me. We've been through so much together. "Chung smiled, I could feel my heart skipping a beat. " I don't exactly have a family back at home waiting for me, but it doesn't matter because I've got the team-they're family to me."

Family, that word alone send shivers down my spine. After the attack on my village I lived life believing I was alone, I believed that I would never have the same family love again. Maybe I can also consider this team my family as well, we're always here for each other and we're always willing to fight for one another-isn't that what a family is about?

"That's why it's so hard for me to believe Raven did something so terrible," he went on. "I don't even know what I should do if he really was the killer."

"It shouldn't matter if Raven was the killer," I blurt out, I could see Chung's face lighting up with surprise. "We know Raven better than anyone, and we know he's a good guy now. As his friends we need to stand with him and help him through this. That's what friends and family do."

Chung lips twitched into a small smile at my response. I could feel my face heating up at his action, it's not everyday I get to make Chung smile.

"We should probably head back inside." I gesture to the house. "It sounds like things have calmed down in there."

"Yeah," he punched me gently on the shoulder. "Thanks for listening and understanding."

"No problem," I replied, with a toothy smile," that's what friends are for."

When we got back inside Raven was no where in sight, apparently revealed that he went to bed shortly after I left. Agatha refused to talk about the subject any more and has decided to retire to the kitchen for some dinner; needless to say, Amos joined his sister for dinner.

Our team used this chance to talk about our plan of action tomorrow. Elsword wanted us to go looking for the El Shard right away while Aisha suggested we gather some information from the Ponggos and try to help them with their Nasod crises.

There was much debate on what we should do next, but I was too tired to pay attention to all the little details. In the end we agreed on splitting into different groups, one group will go up to the surface to find clues on the Shard's whereabouts while the other group will stay behind and gather information from villagers.

I was assigned to go with Eve and Raven to the surface, now I wouldn't have mind that if there wasn't so much tension. Raven will no doubt be stuck in a bad mood tomorrow and Eve may be upset at the potential Nasods attacking us. I didn't complain though, it'd only cause more trouble if I wanted a change groups.

We retired to bed shortly after the planning was complete, we were so tired we didn't even bother to change out of our robes, I was unfortunate enough to get the couch tonight but I didn't really care, as long as I had a place to rest my head I'm good.

Luckily for me I had a dreamless night, which left me in a great mood the following morning. The team woke up fairly late, due to the lack of sun. Right after breakfast we changed back to our usual attire and set out to complete our assigned tasks.

As I had predicted my group was filled with tension and silence, Raven absolutely refused to speak with any of us while Eve was lost in a daze. I tried striking up a conversation but my attempts were proven to be useless-I had to resolve to having a conversation with Eun.

We wandered through the grassy plains for hours before reaching a waste land of broken Nasods and rusted machine parts. We gingerly walked through, bracing ourselves from the potential danger that could be lurking around the corner.

"It's a graveyard," Eve pointed. "So many Nasods have been put to rest here."

"I-I'm sorry, Eve." I said in a whisper. It must be hard for her to see these dead Nasods, I can't even imagine what could be going through her head right now.

Eve's drones glide around the piles of metal scraps as if they're trying to find a survivor," I-I have never seen such a large graveyard." She shook her head. "This is terrible."

"Could this have been a result from the battle between Ponggos and Nasods?" I thought out loud. I took a step closer to my group at the sight of an active land mine.

"I might have been able to save them if I was still on the island." Eve whispered to herself, she stopped to pick out a rusted Nasod arm from a pile. "These poor Nasods must have suffered so much."

I perked my head up at the distant sound," I hear something." I told the group.

"What do you hear?" Eve asked, placing the rusted arm back into its pile.

I listen closely, my heart skipped a beat at the familiar drilling noise," I hear a drill." I announce to her. "It might be an active Nasod."

"We need to hurry." Eve quickly gestures her drones to return. "Ara, lead the way."

Nodding I quickly break into a sprint, we thread our way around the land mines and stray Nasod parts. I slowed myself down at the sight of a large moss covered Nasod up ahead, Eve gasped and hurried toward it.

"Fellow Nasod!" I hear her calling out to it. The Nasod quickly turned to face us, with its twin drills resting tiredly on the ground

We come to a stop behind Eve. Raven and I held our weapons tightly as Eve began to approach the Nasod," we come in peace." Eve tells the Nasod.

"Who are you?" The Nasod questions in a rasped voice. "Why have you come here?"

"I am Eve, Queen of the Nasods," she introduces, with her head held up high. "I am here to-"

"Queen?" The Nasod interrupts. "Are you seriously our Queen?"

"Yes."

The Nasod laughs," how pathetic, the Queen herself has finally decided to come back to us!"

Eve didn't respond, I could see her forming a tight fist.

"Why would you think us Nasods would accept you as our ruler? You abandoned us to rot!" The Nasod stated accusingly.

"I didn't-"

"Look around you!" The Nasod gestured to the piles of rusted parts. "This is the suffering our kind has been through, and where were you when went through all this pain?"

"Ara," Raven whispered to me. "Get ready to attack, I have a feeling this Nasod is going to attack her soon."

"Alright," I prepare myself to attack the Nasod-I could feel Eun readying to launch us into action.

"I feel terrible for abandoning you all, and I am very sorry you have been through the pain alone." Eve sounded like she was on the verge of tears. "I d-didn't know there were still so many survivors, if I had I would've returned right away."

"Lies!" The Nasod spat, it swung its rusted drills wildly in the air. "Stop lying to me."

"Please believe me when I say I'm here to help you." Eve pleaded, she began backing away from the Nasod. "Let me help you, if you stay in this rusted state any longer you'll..." She trailed off. "Die."

"I could care less!" The Nasod screamed with anger. "I would rather die than to recognize you as my Queen."

The Nasod brought its drills down, at that moment Raven sprung into action," Shockwave - Divider!" Slashing his sword downwards Raven generated a blue wave of energy, the shockwave launched itself at the driller causing it to be pushed back.

"What are you doing?" Eve glanced between Raven and the Nasod. "Why are you hurting it?"

"You would've been killed if that drill had landed on you." He replied, he positions himself for another attack. "You can't reason with it."

"Yes I can!" Eve snapped back, her drones attached themselves onto Raven's arm, each one attempting to pull him away from the Nasod. "Get back. I don't want you hurting the Nasod."

Raven struggled to free himself from their grip," can't you see we're trying to keep you safe?"

"I don't need you guys to keep me safe from my own kind." Eve approached Raven, her firmly grabbed him by the arm. "Leave it alone."

"You'll be killed!"

The Nasod used this opportunity to charge at them, Raven screamed in fear at the sight of the approaching driller while Eve continued to beg the Nasod to listen to her.

Eun's aura erupt around me as I glide to the Nasod," Raging Wave!" I shout, as I launch my spear into the ground. The impact caused the ground to fracture, this caused the Nasod to stop in its tracks.

"Ara!" Eve turns her attention to me. Raven uses this chance to free himself from Eve, he leaps into the air to launch his next attack.

"Wolf Fang!" He yells; slashing down at the Nasod on the way down, the Nasod slumps down from the attack.

"Tempest Dance!" I swiftly swing my spear at the Nasod, I could see my attack leaving large dents on the Nasod's body.

"Arrgh!" The Nasod cried out, swinging its drill at me.

I'm sent flying back from the impact, using Eun's quick reflexes I quickly claw my hands down into the ground, stopping me from going any further back.

Raven charges at the Nasod, the Nasod swiftly swings his other drill at him causing Raven to fly back into a pile of metal scraps.

_There has to be a quicker way to take it down. _Eun growls. _If this keeps up we'll be out of energy before that Nasod._

"Eun, I've seen some land mines on the way here"-I blow a strand of silver hair out my face-"maybe we can push the Nasod into one."

_Perhaps we can move the Nasod parts aside to find a land mine!_

"Great idea, Eun!" I beamed. At the corner of my eye I could see Raven crawling out of the pile, he weakly helped himself back on his feet.

"Raven!" I shout. "Help me find a land mine!"

Raven nods and quickly began attacking the piles of Nasod parts, I mimicked his actions. The Nasod swung its drills wildly at the piles, causing spare parts to go flying at us. We swiftly dodge the incoming object before returning to our search.

"I found it!" Raven announced loudly. I turn to see him standing beside a blinking red light, we exchanged victorious smiles with one another.

"Only one last thing to do!" I said with a sly grin.

Taking off into a sprint I hurry to the Nasod while Raven rushed at it from the other side. The Nasod abruptly turned its attention to Raven as he swung his sword on it, leaving its back exposed to me.

"Rock Smash!" I ram into the Nasod with full force; Raven quickly jumped out of the way.

I smiled proudly as the Nasod was sent flying into the open land mine, within seconds the land mine went off, blowing the Nasod driller into pieces.

_Good job, Ara. _Eun praises, as its aura diminishes.

"Great job, team." I said in between breaths.

Raven leaned against his sword," that was quite a fight." He said; wiping his sweaty forehead.

_I do not think it is time to be celebrating, _Eun jerked my attention to Eve.

My mood instantly turned sour at her blank expression, her drones nudged her cheeks, trying to snap her out of her daze.

It must have been hard for her to watch us take down that Nasod, we understand that she wanted to reason with the Nasod but it wouldn't have listened anyways. She could've gotten seriously hurt if we hadn't done anything.

"Eve," I spoke up. "W-we're-"

Eve held up her hand, indicating me to stop talking," it's fine, Ara." She muttered, wiping her eyes with her other hand. "Can we please go back now?"

Raven and I exchanged glances, we knew what we did would hurt Eve but there was nothing more that we could've done.

This was both a victory and a lose.

"Yeah," Raven replied, not looking her in the eye. "Let's go back."


	38. 38

**Those of you who have experienced writer's block know my struggle . That's one of the reasons for this long update, I didn't want to post something I wrote poorly. You awesome people deserve to read my "best" work!**

**On a completely different note, I'm starting to plan for the last two stories! This story is going to be quite lengthy so don't be surprised if I post a new story while this is still on going. Just give me some time and I promise I'll get this one finished...eventually.**

We returned to the village in silence, Raven and I didn't utter a single word throughout the walk back. I wanted to say something to help Eve cheer up but nothing came into mind, and when I had the courage to speak up Eun warned me about the possible consequences that could come along with it.

When we returned to Amos' place we found that everyone has already gotten back from their shift and were all waiting for us to return. Raven, Eve, and I settled down with the rest of the team and began exchanging information with each other.

My group shared our little adventure up on the surface first, everyone seemed to give Eve the same pitiful look when we revealed the Nasod's end. I wanted to tell them not to look at Eve in such a way, it'll only make her feel worse, but decided it'd be best if I kept quiet.

"So that's what took place," Raven concluded with folded hands. "It appears the Nasods no longer recognize Eve as their ruler." He added on hesitantly.

He took a quick glance at Eve, the Nasod Queen didn't even meet him in the eye, she stared blankly to the ground without uttering a single word. Raven mumbled a quick sorry before gesturing Elsword to share his group's information.

"R-right," Elsword cleared his voice. "According to the villagers there has been a strange rise in the number of Nasods, each day they are seeing more and more Nasods out in the fields."

"The Nasods also seem to have an increase in activity." Aisha adds on. "Many of the villagers whom we interviewed believe these Nasods have gotten a leader of some sort."

"A leader?" I blurt out. "Why would they think that?"

"When the Nasods try to enter the village they attack in a very disorderly fashion." Chung replied. "From what I gathered they often trample on one another just to have a chance to hit the doors, the Ponggos often collect the trample Nasods for parts."

"However, the attacks now have been more orderly," Aisha added." The Nasods seem to be attacking in different troops. During one of the attacks, a villager heard the Nasods repeating what seemed to be an order."

The team grew silent to take in the new information. If the Nasods do have a new leader, like the Ponggos suspect they do, then we may have to deal with an entire army at some point.

_I suspect this leader may also have the El Shard. _Eun pipes in. _The Nasods that stole the El Shard from us would no doubt give such a powerful item to their leader. _

'That's true, Eun, but we don't even know for sure if these Nasods even have a leader. They could've just gotten smarter and improved on their team work.'

"If these Nasods really do have a leader this could mean trouble for us," Eve spoke up softly-she clasped her hands tightly together and went on," there's no doubt this leader would want the Nasods to overthrow every other race in Elrois. If we get involved with them that could cause a war between Altera and Nasods."

War, that word alone sent shivers down my spine. The thought of having to go to war sound almost surreal to me, a part of me refuses to believe such a statement but I know such a big battle could break out if this keeps up.

"War?" Aisha let out a nervous laugh. "Isn't that a bit extreme?"

Eve shook her head," the Nasods have lost badly in the Ancient War, and it would not surprise me one bit if they are willing to go into another battle with humans."

"And if we consider the fact that the Nasods have an El Shard in their hands," Raven added. "The outcome of said war could be ugly."

_Using an El Shard for a war is a foolish decision! _Eun growled; I could feel its anger pulsating through me. _The damage that will be created could end the lives of every living being in this world._

Elsword cursed loudly," how will be go about this?" He tightened his fists. "If we confront the Nasods war could break out, but if we leave them alone they'll continue to grow in power."

"There's no easy way around it," Aisha rests her head in her hands. "If we want to protect the Ponggos and the rest of Elrois we need to confront the Nasods; even if that means war."

"On the other hand, we could be put innocent lives outside of Altera in danger as well." Raven spoke lowly, bowing his head. "Who's to say they won't take this fight outside the islands?"

"We can't just leave them alone either!" Aisha snapped. "By not confronting our enemies we are putting an entire village in danger"-she pounded her fist against her leg-"we should fight them now while they aren't _as _ strong, if we can successfully defeat them, we can protect the village and the rest of Elrois."

"It's a long shot though." Raven muttered.

"Aisha has a point," Chung said dully. "While the army isn't as strong we should attack."

I clenched my teeth in efforts to keep Eun contained, by now Eun was fuming with anger. I understand why Eun doesn't agree with our plans to confront the Nasods, but in order to keep them from growing we'll need to face their army head on.

"Going into war against my fellow Nasods, eh?" Eve mumbled to herself; I could see her shoulders tensing up. "And here I was thinking to rebuild the Nasod race in peace."

"We'll need to plan our confrontation carefully." Elsword began; oblivious to Eve's reaction. "While we are still at peace with the Nasods, we should use this chance to gather as much information as possible. Our first step is to find out if they really have a leader and if they do we need to figure out where they are."

"We may also need to stock up on supplies," Raven pointed. "Food and medicine will be crucial for both the team and villagers."

"We should also keep in mind that these Nasods have an El Shard." Chung adds on grimly. "With that sort of power in their hands who knows what they can do?"

"You're forgetting something, Chung." Aisha said with a sly smile. "Our team also has an El Shard in our hands."

_Are you children crazy?! How can you children take this so lightly? Going to war with El Shards on both sides will cause a disastrous outcome!_

'We don't have a choice, Eun, please try to understand our situation. No one here wants to be at war, and I doubt anyone here wants to fight with El Shards.'

_I understand, but I fear you children will get into great danger as a result. Your team may be strong but none of you understand the full potential of the El Shards. _

"I'm home!" Amos' voice sounded loudly.

Elsword leaned in and quickly whispered," don't tell him or any of the villagers of the potential war yet, it's too early for them to know."

"What's going on?" Amos said-walking in curiously into the living room.

Elsword leaned back nonchalantly on the couch," nothing, we were just exchanging information on today's findings."

Amos' eyes sparked with interest," did you guys learn anything new?" He asked, with an eager smile.

Oh nothing, we just learned about the increased Nasod activity, a potential new Nasod leader, and did I mention there could be a war? I thought to myself.

"We learned a bit on the increase of Nasod activity, but other than that not much." Aisha replied with a shrug. "There's still a lot we still need to know."

"Oh," Amos said-his smile dropped instantly at the response. "Well, you guys must be hungry from today's work. I'll quickly make you guys some dinner!"

Elsword's stomach growled loudly in approval," dinner sounds great right now!" He said; rubbing his hungry belly.

* * *

Unlike yesterday the food wasn't as appetizing. Dinner consisted of a boiled carrot, several apple slices, and some lettuce. I understand different places serve different foods; but who can really get filled up on a small meal like this?

No one commented at the small serving, instead everyone ate their small dinner in peace-everyone but me.

Back in Bethma Chung had done so much for me, he was there when I was in tears, when I needed someone to talk to, and even when I couldn't walk. All those kind favours need to be repaid, and knowing Chung that's through food.

"Hey," I greeted Chung; sitting myself down beside him on the ground.

"What's up?" He said; chewing on an apple slice.

I sheepishly hand my plate over to him," I think I owe you some extra food." I muttered, not looking him in the eye.

"Sweet, extra food!" He took my plate without another thought-my stomach cried out to our stolen dinner. "Here I thought you'd forget all those kind things I did for you."

I snort," and I'm forced to repay you with _my _dinner."

Chung raised his brow," what's your point?" He inquired, while eating another apple slice.

I pout at the sight of him chewing away at his food, he could at least enjoy his dinner when I'm not looking. Watching him eat is only making me more hungry.

"How are you being nice when I'm not allowed to eat?" I challenge, with a frown. "I'm hungry too y'know."

"Are you being a brat because I'm eating all your food." He said; nudging my arm. "Isn't that a bit selfish?"

"Aren't you being selfish for eating all of my food? I have every right to be a bit bratty." I snapped; slapping his arm away from me. "Whatever, just enjoy your dinner. I'm going to-"

I paused the moment Chung grabbed onto my arm. I snapped my head back, feeling both shocked and confused at his action.

Chung held out his plate to me," I also have to pay you back for yesterday." He said softly-probably afraid that someone would overhear him. "I'll let you have one of everything on this plate."

Wait, hold on a minute! Chung is actually letting me have his share of the food? What has the world come to?

"You know you can just give me all of your breakfast as payment tomorrow." I point out, I can hear my stomach screaming out at my response.

He shrugs," that's true."

"See? Now that we've come to an-"

"But you should eat something tonight," Chung cuts me off-my face warmed at the grin forming on his face. "You did go up against a Nasod today."

His comment, for some strange reason, warmed my heart; I bet this is just a side affect from my fatigue today. Some rest should help fix this up.

Smiling slyly I said," are you being nice to me, princess?"

Chung's smile dropped to a deep frown," shut up and eat before I change my mind." He ordered; pushing the plate my way.

I sit myself down beside him," whatever you say, Rapunzel." I said with a wink.


	39. 39

**You guys ARE the BEST! I was rereading some earlier chapters in this story and WOW, I can't believe I actually published those chapters smh. Despite publishing "not so well edited chapters" you guys still show me support and are even willing to help me improve! That blows my mind! Thanks everyone for the kind words! I'm such a jerk for making everyone wait for these two chapters...sorry about that x_x"**

The team crashed to bed shortly after dinner, today has been a very long day. Not only did we learn of the increase in Nasods, but we'd just learned that a possible war could break out between us and the Nasods. That information alone is enough to drain us all.

As usual I didn't get the greatest sleep and woke up fairly early. Seeing how I had so much spare time I decided to sneak out, and maybe go for a short walk.

Sneaking out of the cramped guest room I began my way through the dimly lit hallway, the kitchen lights barely illuminating the slumber house. Curious to see who's up I decide to make a small detour.

Poking my head in I could see Amos asleep on the kitchen table, a large book sat in front of him, with glass flasks, diverse in size, arranged around the table; some were filled with a colourful unknown substance.

I wanted to step back out, but before I could Amos' eyes fluttered open. He jumped awake the instant he saw me, knocking his hand against the table-the glass flasks trembled at the sudden impact.

"A-Ara." He greets; rubbing his injured hand. "Why are you up so early?"

"I couldn't sleep anymore," I reply vaguely, my eyes wandering curiously around his equipment. "So what are you up to? It doesn't look like you're up for a midnight snack." I gesture to the disorganized table.

"Oh, I'm just doing some late night studying." He answers quietly. "Agatha doesn't like it when I study this early, but I can't help it. This is the best hour to be studying"-he gestures me to come closer-"come, I want to show you what I've been studying."

I take him up on the offer and tip toed to the table, my cheeks heated with embarrassment at the strange letters written in the book. It feels wrong to be unable to read something a child could.

"This book is written in an old language," Amos explained, while brushing his fingers delicately along the lines. "I'm still learning the language, but I know enough to read most of the things written in here."

Amos turned the page revealing a number of messy drawings and symbols. I could barely make out each drawing, they seemed to overlap one another with tiny words sprawled around the page.

"So what does this book talk about?" I ask, wanting to know more on the book's secrets.

With a toothy grin Amos responds," Alchemy."

If Vapor was here she'd be beaming with pride, I thought sadly to myself. I bet Amos would love her works, these two would've made the ultimate duo.

"I've been trying to make a new potion," he said, as he reached out for a flask filled with a clear substance. "I want to make something that can help us defeat the Nasods, but right now I need to get down the basics."

He holds the flask up high, slowly swaying the substance around in circles," right now I'm learning about different acids. I'm slowly mastering the techniques that's used in making acids, one day I'll make an acid so powerful it'll keep all the Nasods away from my village!"

Amos' enthusiasm reminded me of me as a kid. I wanted to fight and master each technique taught to me so I could protect my village, it didn't matter how difficult the techniques were, i was always willing to learn.

"Are you good at alchemy?" Amos asks; placing the flask back down.

I shake my head," alchemy is my weakness." I confess-Vapor was inches away from kicking me out of her alchemy class. "One time I was told to make a healing potion, but instead I made some weird poison. My teacher banned me from working alone from that day forward."

Amos laughed at my failure," how can you fail at making such an easy potion?" He said through fits of laughter.

I frown," I'm just not that skilled in alchemy. Even my brother said I should keep away from alchemy in general. He feared my terrible potion-making skills will cost the life of someone important."

"I would fear the same thing if I were him." Amos laughed harder at his own reply.

I can't believe I'm being laughed at by some kid, this is a whole new level of embarrassment.

"Are you done laughing at me now?" I said in a bored tone. "I have better things to do, y'know?"

"Okay, okay, I'm done." Amos quickly responded, wiping his eyes. Taking several deep breaths in he finally managed to calm himself down.

"So you had an alchemy teacher?" He asked-changing the topic. "Were they good?"

I could already imagine Vapor bragging about her many successful works and how they managed to turn a whole battle around. Aside from alchemy, bragging was something Vapor was _very _good at.

"My teacher was a very good alchemist," I began; smiling at the old memories. "The entire village relied on her works."

"Wow!" Amos bounced in his seat excitedly. "What potions did she make? Did her creations ever help a battle?"

I nod," Vapor's works helped many battles. If she had never been an alchemist my village would've been destroyed long ago."

If only her potions were strong enough to stop the last attack, a small voice sounded from the back of my head. We could be at home with Mother and Father, and maybe even Aren.

"Ara?" Amos poked my arm, eyeing me with concern. "Are you okay?"

Shaking that dark thought away I went on," she made many new potions as well. Her potions worked better than any other potion written in some book."

"Even in this one?" He clumsily held the thick book up.

"Even that one," I said with a smile. "There's no alchemist in the world that can top Vapor, she can put any typical potion to shame with her own."

I hope Vapor is proud of my description of her, I'm not exactly the greatest bragger in the world.

"If there's one alchemist that can top Vapor it'll be me!" Amos exclaimed proudly, pounding his small fist against his chest. "One day I'll top Vapor's works! I'll make potions so great that every alchemist out there will be jealous of me!"

"Every alchemist would be annoyed of you," a new voice pipes in. Glancing back I could see a sleepy Agatha joining us, she frowned deeply at her brother.

"A-Agatha?" Amos' shoulders began to tense.

"What are you doing up so early?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"I-I was just studying." He played with his fingers, retreating to his timid nature. "Ara was just telling me about a super smart alchemist."

"My brother is the biggest geek when it comes to alchemy," Agatha said to me smiling. "I don't know if I should be proud or worried about him."

"You should be proud!" Amos snapped, hopping out of his chair to hug his sister. "Your baby brother is the best alchemist in this village! That means I can supply Ara's team with useful potions and stuff!"

Agatha shook her head at his response," you're the _only _alchemist in this village"-she pushed him off her-"and you're also the most annoying kid in this village."

"Aggie, you're a meanie!" He accuses with a pout. "I'm not annoying!"

Agatha smirked," you're annoying, a huge geek"-she wraps one arm around his head and gave him a noogie with the other-"and you're weak!"

"Stop!" Amos trashed weakly in Agatha's grip. "You'll mess up my fur!"

"Ohh poor baby," Agatha cooed. "We wouldn't want your poor fur to be ruined now will we?" She pecked him on the head before ruffling his fur further.

"Stop it, meanie!"

It's just like how Aren and I used to fight, I thought-my eyes burned at the memories.

We would always get into little fights, seeing who is stronger than the other. Although I was weaker than Aren he would always let me win, allowing me to brag about my "victory" to our parents.

I wish Amos and Agatha knew how lucky they were to still have each other, I don't know what exactly happened with their parents but these two are very fortunate to still have each other.

_We still do not know if your brother is dead. _Eun points out. _There is still a chance you two can still unite. _

'You have a good point, Eun.' I wrapped my arms around myself. 'I just hope I can reunite with my brother soon.'

"What's with all the noise?" A deep voice sounds.

At the corner of my eye I could see Raven making his way in, his dirty Bethma robe clinging loosely on him. I wanted to tell him to turn back, knowing for a fact that this bubbly mood will break soon, but Agatha spotted him before I had enough time to react.

Agatha let her brother go, her smile dropped to a frown," what do you want?" She asked in a low voice.

Raven didn't respond, he simply froze, waiting for Agatha to continue. Amos glanced between his sister and my friend, his eye brows furrowing at the tension building between the two.

Agatha pulled Amos into a protective hug," I don't know what you want with these people and my village"-she picked Amos up-"but if you lay a single finger on my brother I'll rip you apart with my own two hands."

Without another exchange of words Agatha stormed out the kitchen, purposely bumping into Raven on the way out.

I could hear Agatha's rhythmic footsteps weakening with each passing second.

I played with my fingers sheepishly, not knowing what I should say or do. Raven was the first to break the silence, he cleared his voice loudly, catching my full attention.

"Sorry I had to drag you into this," he said, keeping his eyes glued to the floor. "It's because of me the team is not welcomed at the village."

"I-it's not your fault." I stuttered. "It's just a big misunderstanding! I'm sure once this is all cleared we'll-"

"You don't understand, Ara." He snapped-my ears rung at his raised voice. "You don't understand anything, so please don't act like you do!"

His outburst left me in shock and anger-just because I don't understand doesn't give him the right to snap at me, he could've said that in a more polite manner.

Taking a sharp breath in I reply," you don't have to be so rude about it. I might not know what's up but that doesn't give you the right to snap at me. As your teammate; friend, I'm here to help and support you."

"Friend?" He echoed bitterly, laughing slightly at the word. "I have no need for friends. All you are to me is a team mate, someone who I fight along side with. I-I do not need your support outside of battle. T-that applies to the others. "

"Raven-"

"All I need is to repent my sins," he cut me off. "I have no time for friends and family."

He held out his Nasod arm, his eyes narrowing at the artificial arm," I've done some terrible things, Ara. A sweet little girl like you should not be around a man like me." Dropping his arm he turns himself around.

"I-I don't want to take another innocent life." I could hear him whisper to himself.

I wanted to say something to him but decided it'd be best if I left him alone. It's true, I don't know much about Raven, and I don't think I have the right to force out information from him either. For now I should just leave his past alone, maybe one day he'll tell me.

Our moment of silence didn't last long, before I could gather the rest of my thoughts up the ground shook wildly, nearly knocking me down. The glass flasks screamed loudly on the wooden table, some even fell down, shrieking loudly upon hitting the floor.

My heart dropped at the deafening sound screaming from the outside. I covered my ears, hoping it'll help silence the ringing in my head.

"What's happening?!" Raven screamed, holding onto the wall to keep his balance.

"Let's check it out." I said; making my way to the door, Raven followed behind me.

Swinging the door open my jaw dropped at the army of Nasods entering the village, many Ponggos could already be seen running out from their houses screaming for help.

My eyes widened at the charging Nasod driller, its weapon pointed directly at me. Raven quickly pushed me aside and launched a fireball at it, the Nasod bursts into flames before dropping to the ground.

"Get the others up." He orders; stepping out from the house.

"Wait, don't you need your weapon?" I ask.

Raven shook his head," this Nasod arm alone can keep me safe"-he cracks his knuckle-"hurry and get the team out here!" He steps out of the house.

"O-okay," I bit my lip. "Stay safe out there."

"Don't waste your time worrying about trash like me," his Nasod hand burned with a small flame. "Just focus on protecting these innocent lives."


	40. 40

**Don't you hate it when you get sick on a really busy week? Like how can I do a writing assignment when I'm trying to keep myself from using up all the tissues, and how can I study when I be loopy on "non-drowzy" Tylenol? The struggle :'D**

**Shout out to anyone who goes to work while feeling under the weather, you're the real MVP. ^0^**

"Wake up!" I screamed at the top of my lung, switching on the bedroom lights. "Everyone, please wake up!"

Everyone groaned at the sudden light blaring into the room. The guys sleeping on the floor rolled lazily onto their stomachs, while the girls hid themselves under the cover.

"I was in a middle of an awesome dream." Elsword whined, shielding his eyes from the light. "Why did you have to ruin it?"

"I swear I just fell asleep," Aisha groaned from under the blanket.

Ignoring their complaints I make a quick grab for my spear," the village is being attacked by Nasods!" I told them, almost instantly everyone popped up in a sitting position. "They just broke in!" I added.

"What? I thought those metal doors were secure!" Elsword exclaimed, with widened eyes. "How many are there?"

I shake my head," I have no idea." I confessed grimly. "Raven is already out there kicking Nasod butt. If we wait any longer those Nasods will destroy the entire village!"

The team exchange quick glances with one another before getting themselves up. I quickly thank them before running out of the house, along the way I could see Agatha and Amos huddled up in the living room. Agatha has her fists tightened and ready for a Nasod to pop in, while Amos is cuddled tightly in his sister's lap, trembling in fear of being hurt by the Nasods.

I wanted to go reassure the two Ponggos that everything will be fine, and that they can count on us to defend them; but I knew it'd only waste time. The only thing I can do for them now is to fight for their village.

Charging out of the house I hurry towards the raging group of Nasods. Within the group I could see several Ponggos trapped in the centre, each one paralyzed from fear. I quickly glide to the group and launch my attack.

"Moonlight Slash!" I swipe through the backs of several Nasods; this caught the attention of the remaining Nasods.

I quickly launch a second attack before the remaining Nasods could fight back," Flying Kite!" I jump straight to my targets, slashing through each one faster than a blink of an eye.

The trapped Ponggos' smiled widely at my victory," thank you!" A small Ponggo exclaimed; its hands still shaking. "You were so cool!"

"I'm just glad I came here on time," I said; wiping the beads of sweat on my forehead.

Perking my head up I could already see my team mates launching into battle with the enemy Nasods-Yang stood protectively in front of Amos' house, baring its sharp fangs to warn any incoming enemies.

"Everyone, I need you all to listen carefully." I spoke to the Ponggos sternly. "I need everyone to head to that house"-I point to Amos' resident-"the Ancient Phoru will protect you guys from the Nasods!"

Looking back at the Ponggos I could see doubt in their eyes, some of them began backing away," that Phoru is a part of my team." I clarify in a softer tone. "I promise it won't hurt you."

"B-but we're food to that thing." One of the Ponggos spoke up. "We look like prey to it!"

I clench my teeth at their response, it's unbelievable how much they doubt my team-especially at a time like this," if you cherish your lives I would highly suggest going to that house." I said slowly; trying to keep myself calm. "It'll be hard for us to keep track of you all if you're standing out here."

No one spoke up this time, they exchanged glances with one another before making their way to the house. I could see the group cowering as Yang turned to face them, I readied myself to run after anyone who would run off by themselves.

_Ara, heads up! _

Eun quickly took over, we side stepped to avoid a charging Nasod driller. Eun smiled viciously at the prey's back," Tiger Claw!" We rip into the Nasod's back with a single swipe, little pieces of metal came flying out at the impact.

"These machines are pretty easy to destroy." Eun said, with a victorious grin. "We can easily take down an army of these guys."

'Let's go help the others out.' I suggest.

Regaining control I sprint down the chaotic street, slicing through the many Nasods in my way. The Nasods seemed to come in endless waves, once I was done with one group two more groups of Nasods would be charging at my direction.

My knees caved in once the streets around me grew silent, I could hear my body screaming at me to take a break.

_Will you be able to hold out? _Eun asked worryingly.

"I think I'll be fine." I said between breaths. "I just need a bit of a breather."

_Very well, but make it quick. _

I laid myself down, allowing myself to regain some strength. I could still hear the Nasods' drills from a distance, slicing into the Ponggos' houses and stores. The desperate cries for help sounded from almost everyone corner, my stomach turned at the many lives put in danger; the many lives begging for my help.

I clench my teeth with anger, the thought of not being strong enough to protect the villagers infuriates me. If I could fight without tiring I would save the lives of so many villagers.

"Sitting hear will only prolong the village's suffering." I thought out loud.

Using my spear as a support I began helping myself up, my jelly-like legs barely supporting my weight. Taking several more breaths in I began moving. I forcefully drag myself further up the street, ignoring my stone-like body.

"Dread Chase!" Chung's voice boomed from the distance-the sound metal colliding rung shortly after.

I quickly come to a halt at the sound of his voice. Perking my head up, I strain my ears to pick up on any more sounds.

"There's so many of them." Aisha's voice piped in. "We can't take them out like this."

"We don't have a choice!" Chung snapped; I could hear him hitting his cannon against the ground. "Just push a little bit further!"

_Your friends sound troubled. _

'We should go help them out. Eun, I'll need you to lend me your power.'

Almost instantly I could feel Eun's energy racing through me, sharpening my senses even further; refilling my drained body with its strength. I effortlessly lift my spear from the ground, no longer needing it to help me walk.

_It will take forever to search through the streets. _Eun points out. _I suggest we travel from the roof tops. _

"Good idea, Eun." I reply; eyeing the building on my right.

With one quick jump I leap onto the roof of my target building, from above I could see almost everything. I could see all the different Nasods running through the narrow streets, and the fights raging between the Nasods and my team.

I narrow my eyes at the number of Nasods running at Eve, now that I have a better view of the village I can clearly see all the different routes these Nasods are taking to get to Eve. Some are taking direct paths to the Nasod Queen, while others are scurrying between houses to make a surprise attack on her.

I could hear Elsword calling Eve to retreat, but even that action alone will be difficult for her, especially when she's got Nasods coming at her from all different directions.

"We should help her," I thought out loud; tightening my grip around my spear. "She'll burn out at this rate."

_She will be fine. _Eun said. _Elsword is close to her, if she does get in trouble he will be able to help her. _

"I guess you're right." I mutter, biting my lower lip. "I hope she'll be okay."

_We should look for your other friends, they sounded like they could use some help. _

Reluctantly, I turn around and began gliding from roof to roof, I swiftly examine each area before leaping to the next building-keeping my ears strained for any more voices.

"Aisha!" I could hear Chung shouting; I scrunch my nose at the faint metallic smell lingering in the air.

Cursing under my breath I began to follow the metallic scent. Up ahead I could see Chung and Aisha cornered by a group of Nasods. Aisha rested in Chung's arm, her clothes stained with a deep red substance, while Chung barely held his ground. He didn't have his armour on, leaving him vulnerable to incoming attacks.

"Watch out!" Aisha cried, pointing to the sudden charging Nasod.

Chung cursed loudly at the surprise attack, he swiftly positioned his cannon to the approaching enemy and launched a glowing blue missile. The Nasod was immediately shot back upon contact.

Aisha relaxed at his quick reaction, one of the Nasods took this opportunity to charge at them. Chung barely caught on to the movement, knowing he won't be able to counter the attack, he quickly wrapped his other arm around Aisha-shielding her from danger.

I bared my teeth at the danger quickly approaching my friends, positioning my spear down, I began my attack," Suppression!"

I quickly launch myself down, with my spear piercing through the ground. The Nasods around me instantly fell from the attack, even Chung and Aisha could feel the impact.

I quickly use the opportunity to attack the Nasod that tried to hurt my friends,"Tiger Claw!" My claws ripped through the Nasod's metallic body, launching some of its gear out as a result.

"Your prince in shining armour is here to rescue you," I said, pulling my spear out of the ground. "I apologize for that suppression, I needed a strong impact to keep the Nasods busy."

"What are you doing here?" Chung said, reaching for his cannon. "Can't you see I've got this handled?"

"You looked like a cornered puppy to me," I jump into my fighting stance. "There's no shame in asking for help, princess."

"How are you helping us when-"

Before Chung could finish the Nasods began to charge at us. I swiftly dodge the incoming attacks, thrusting my spear into as many Nasods as I can. Chung threw out several grenades to slow the incoming attackers before launching his missiles.

The fight quickly grew difficult as fatigue began to settle into my body, not even Eun could lift the weight dragging me down.

_Be careful! _

I stumbled back at Eun's warning, barely avoiding the drill crashing down. Growling I thrust my spear into the Nasod's head, its body grew unresponsive within seconds. Before I could free my weapon a sharp pain shot through my leg, like someone set it on fire.

I cried out in pain as my attacker withdrew its drill from my leg, warm blood quickly rushed from the open wound. I weakly tugged at my spear, praying I'll be able to free it with the little energy I have left.

The Nasod held its weapons up, taking a step toward me-its comrades mimicked its actions as they saw me go down.

"Forget the spear," I thought out loud-letting go of my weapon. "I won't die here."

I bared my claws at the Nasods, challenging them to come closer.

"Dread Chase!" I breathed a sigh of relief at the missiles launched at my attackers, the clueless Nasods barely noticed what was coming. The blue missiles tore the Nasods up in an instant, leaving no survivors behind.

"Ara," Aisha freed herself from Chung's grip, dropping beside me. "Are you okay?" She examined the wound on my leg.

"I'll be fine," I smiled, trying to ignore the unseen fire burning on my wound. "I-I need to fight."

"You can't fight!" Aisha protests, her hands shot around me to keep me from collapsing. "Not with that injury."

"B-but I need to help-"

"You'll only cause more trouble for me," Chung piped in, panting from the fight. "You've already done enough for us, just stay still and let me finish them off."

I opened my mouth to protest but knew this would be for the better. Aisha and I watched as Chung finished off the last of the Nasods, using every bit of energy left to keep us safe.

"He's a good friend," Aisha whispered. "It's nice to see that he's starting to return to his old self."

I wanted to ask what she meant, but decided that story can be told another time. _How we met _stories aren't meant to be told in a middle of a battle.

"T-they're retreating," I could hear Chung whisper. Even from here I could see the wave of Nasods hurrying out of the village, each one ignoring us as they ran by. "They're finally retreating." Chung fell to his knees.

"This is no time to be celebrating." Aisha scolded. "The attack left behind some major damage. We need to take responsibility for it."

"Why do you always have to ruin the mood." Chung glanced back at us, my heart quickened as he locked eyes with me. "How are you two holding up?"

"I'm doing a bit better." Aisha wiggled her injured arm, wincing at the still fresh wound. "I was just in a bit of shock, sorry for being unable to help."

"I think I can still walk." I winced at the attempt to put weight on my injured leg. "On second thought, I think I'd have better luck crawling."

Chung sighed at my remark," you are absolutely useless." Helping himself up he made his way to me. "How can you call yourself a _prince in shining armour _when you can't even stand up?"

He knelled down beside me," hop on, I'll give you a ride back."

"B-but my spear." My eyes trailed to my weapon, still pierced in the Nasod's head.

"I've got it," Aisha said, waving her good arm proudly in the air. "Just take it easy, Ara, that wound isn't exactly a simple scratch."

"Just get on already," Chung ordered, annoyance ringing in his voice.

"Whatever," I gently wrap my arms around him, reminding myself not to choke him to death along with way.

I winced in pain as he lifted me off the ground, I unconsciously squeezed my arms around his neck in response.

_Ara, you're going to kill the boy if you don't let go. _Eun warned.

"Sorry," I quickly loosened my arms. "I didn't-"

"Ara," Chung muttered; I mentally prepared myself for a scolding. "Sorry if that hurt."

I couldn't help but let my jaw drop at his response, I was prepared for a typical Chung response, not some nice and caring reply.

Maybe he hit his head during the fight, that would explain why he's being so nice.

"But that doesn't give you an excuse to choke me." He quickly added, and began walking. Aisha quickly followed behind us.

"And next time, try to be more careful." He said, making my heart skip a beat. "You gave us quite a scare back there."

'Eun,' I addressed the Fox mentally.

_Yes, Child?_

'What happens when you don't sleep well often?' I asked, resting my heated face on Chung's back.

_Why do you ask such a thing? _

'My heart won't stop racing. It's starting to scare me, Eun.' My face heated up several more degrees at my response.' What if I'm starting to develop some kind of heart disease from the lack of sleep?'

_Not even I know the answer to your question. _Eun replied. _Perhaps you just need to sleep earlier and eat more, these missions haven't given you much time to rest your body. _

'You're right, Eun.' I tighten my arms around Chung. 'Some food and rest should help me.'


	41. 41

When I first stepped foot into Altera I thought it was a village plucked right out of a child's head, never would I have thought such a village could exist underground-the villagers are as unique as their home.

The surreal village I was once introduced to is now left in rubble, buildings have been broken into, villagers are desperately trying to help the injured, and bodies can be seen laying throughout the streets.

It was hard to walk by the Ponggos, I kept my head buried in Chung's back for the most part. Many of the villagers ignored us, not wanting to associate with us any further. Others spat at us, cursing at us for bringing this tragedy upon them.

"I feel bad for the village," Aisha muttered, keeping her head low. "I wish we could've done something to help them."

"We did everything we could," Chung replied; readjusting me on his back. "The Nasods overpowered us, there was nothing more we could do."

"But don't you feel bad for the villagers?" I whispered.

"Feeling pity won't fix a thing." Chung said-turning his head to further examine the damaged buildings. "We need to focus on taking these Nasods down if we want to protect the Ponggos."

Going against the Nasods could result in a war, I reminded myself. There's no doubt the Nasods will come at us as an army. We're just a simple Red Knight Party, if we even want a chance against the Nasods we'll need to build an army of our own.

"I'm worried," Aisha added in a whisper. "W-what will the chief say? To us; to Eve and Raven?"

"If he's going to insult our friends then we stand up for them," Chung answered. "It'd be wrong if we just stood there and let him talk bad about them."

My stomach turned at the distant shouting ahead, I could feel Chung's shoulders tensing at the voices," it's going to be okay." I whispered into his ear, praying Aisha won't hear me. "We'll get through this as a team."

Chung took a sharp breath in," I apologize in advance if I lose my temper."

We continued forward without saying another word, each of us straining our ears to pick up on the toxic conversation brewing up ahead.

"You can't just kick them out." Elsword's voice boomed, I can imagine him shouting at the chief with tightened fists. "They did nothing wrong."

"Those Nasods attacked because of those two." The Chief shot back. "We need to get rid of them before they cause any more harm."

"You have no proof of their wrongdoings."

"They are Nasods, that fact alone is enough to prove them guilty."

"That is not proof."

As we approached closer to the group I could make out a small crowd of villagers standing behind their Chief, most talked to one another in a hushed tone while others voiced out their support to the Chief. Eve and Raven stood silently behind Elsword, like children watching their parent defend them against their teacher.

"I cannot let Nasods reside in my village." The Chief took a step forward. "I must kick those two Nasods out."

Elsword tensed his jaw," if you kick them out-"

Raven placed a hand on Elsword's shoulder," don't argue any further." He told Elsword coolly. "We don't want you guys to be seen badly because of us."

Elsword pushed Raven's hand away," I won't let them wrongly accuse you." He said; gesturing to the Ponggos. "As your leader, and friend, I won't just stand back."

"Elsword makes a good point," Chung jumped in-all heads turned our way in response, several Ponggos in the crowd gasped at me and Aisha.

The colour of Elsword's face drained the moment his eyes landed on Aisha," A-Aisha?" Elsword's voice came out weak, he hurried to Aisha's side without a another word, forgetting the heated argument we has just in.

"How did this happen to you?" He hesitantly placed a hand near her injury. "Are you still in pain? Who did this to you? Did they-"

"I'm okay," Aisha cut him off with a smile. "It's not _that_ deep of a cut, some rest will help me feel better."

"A-are you sure?" Elsword's eyes trailed along Aisha's pale face. "You can take the day off if you want."

"I'll be fine, stupid." She playfully punched him on the chest, wincing as her fist made its impact on him. "Thanks for worrying though."

Aisha's eyes locked with Elsword's. Elsword slowly cupped her cheek in his hand as he kept his eyes locked with her's. Aisha's cheeks gradually grew into a shade of pink as each second ticked by.

At the corner of my eye I could see the Chief shaking his head at the friends' moment, the villagers behind him gestured to Elsword and Aisha as they gossiped to one another in hushed voices.

"Excuse me, Elsword, but we are not done here." The chief said, crossing his arms. "I ask that you return your attention to this conversation."

Elsword's shoulders tensed at the Chief's words. Aisha simply shook her head and whispered for him to answer to the Chief's request. She shot her hand up as Elsword prepared himself to reply, silencing him in an instant.

"I apologize." Elsword said, turning to face the Ponggos again. "I was just worried about my team mates, I didn't expect them to return with such an injury."

I blinked my eyes as my world began to grow fuzzy.

"And I didn't expect some of my villagers to die tonight." The Chief shot back. I clenched my teeth at his response.

We risked our lives out there to protect his village, and he still refuses to respect our team. If I was in his position I would be on my knees thanking us for the effort.

I could hear the crowd whispering to each other at the possible comebacks Elsword would throw at him. Most of them betting he'd reply in a disrespectful manner.

They really do look down at our team.

Elsword took a breath in," I apologize for being unable to help your village." He began slowly. "They outnumbered us, and we couldn't save all the villagers."

"You promised us that you'd keep us safe; that you'd help us." The Chief began raising his voice, his villagers silenced at the sudden change in mood. "You have lied to us; your team and those Nasods lied to us. I ought to kick the rest of your team out!"

Chung cursed under his breath, his body tensing at the Chief's remark. Knowing that another outburst will worsen the situation, I tighten my grip around him," don't lash out." I told him. "Please don't lash out."

He readjusted his grip on me.

"Please," Elsword continued calmly. "Let Raven and Eve stay. They have nothing to do with the attack, I promise you they didn't."

"Please believe us." Aisha piped in, her fingers tightening around my spear.

The Chief scratched his chin, his eyes trailing toward Eve and Raven. Eve held her eyes with the Chief while Raven kept his head down, his dark hair blocking out his eyes.

I rested my head on Chung's back as my vision began to fade, my head spun as the ground below me began to tip sideways. I wanted to call out to someone for help but I could barely manage out a sound. I looked around the fuzzy figures, hoping someone would catch my gaze and help me.

"I'll only let them stay if they compensate for the damage _they _caused." The Chief waved his finger at them. "If they don't pay up, I must kick them out."

"You want money?" Elsword forced out a laugh. "We come here, risking our lives for this village, and you want us to pay you?"

"Your lack of power has caused my village to be greatly damaged." I could barely hear Aisha cursing at his response. "It's only fair for you to pay us back."

My eye lids began growing heavy, I could barely comprehend who is talking and who is not. I part my lips and try one last time to call for help, but my words came out as jumbled.

"Ara?" Chung's voice sounded in my ears, I mentally leaped for joy at his response. "Hey are you okay?" I could feel him lowering me to the ground.

"Chung, what's wrong?" Aisha's voice piped in.

"I-it's her injury." He answered, resting me in his arms. "She's losing too much blood."

_Ara, I apologize. The fight has left me too weak to help you regain energy. _Eun's voice joined in, its weakened aura attempting to revive my strength. _However, that doesn't give you an excuse to give up. You mustn't sleep, child!_

'I'll try, Eun.' _  
_

"We'll discuss this later." Elsword told the Chief, his blurred figure quickly rushed to my side. "Ara, can you hear me?" He tapped me on the shoulder.

"W-we need to get her back to Amos' place." Aisha said, her fuzzy figure falling to her knees.

"They both need to be patched up soon." Raven said. "Chung, hurry and get the girls medical treatment. Eve and I will help any way we can."

"Understood," he answered; springing up to his feet. This action alone made my world spin at a faster rate.

"You better not die on me, Ara." He ordered, and began to sprint. "I-I'll never forgive you if you leave in such a cowardly way."

I wanted to tell him not to worry, that Eun won't let me die so easily, but the world around me turned black before I got the chance to say another word.

* * *

"I managed to stop the bleeding." A muffled voice sounded between breaths. "She's been stable for quite some time now. How's Aisha doing?"

"She just woke up." Another voice joined in. "I gave her the potion you made. Are you sure she'll be good by tomorrow?"

"She'll be in a good condition to fight, but I'd keep a close eye on her."

My head spun at the on going conversation, I could feel the remaining content in my stomach trickling up my throat.

I parted my lips in attempts to make a sound, but my voice came out weak and rasped. The two voices continued with their conversation.

"Chung, be honest." Someone took a deep breath in. "How are you feeling?"

A door slammed shut somewhere.

"I'm feeling fine," Chung replied; I could feel his weight at the edge of my bed.

"Stop giving us that answer."

"I told you I'm fine." Chung raised his voice, my heart dropped at the sudden change in mood. "Can you guys stop asking me the same question? Aren't you tired of saying the same thing over and over again."

"Aren't you tired of saying the same lie over and over again?" There was a pause. "We're your friends, you can trust us."

What are they talking about? I thought to myself. Do they know I can hear every word? Should I even be listening to this?

"I-I know," Chung whispered. "It's just hard to . . . talk about."

"I understand-we all understand-"

"Can we talk about this some other time?" Chung interrupted. "Right now I just want to make sure Ara's okay."

My cheeks warmed at his comment. I prayed they wouldn't realize I've been listening this whole time.

Chung placed his hand on my leg," hey, Ara"-he gave my leg a squeeze-"you awake yet?"

I groan, pretending to be reawaken. Squinting my eyes open, I could see the blurred figure of Elsword leaning against the wall, and Chung seated at the end of the bed.

"Welcome back, sleeping beauty." Elsword winked.

"What happened?" I whispered; rubbing my eyes.

"You and Aisha grew weak from losing blood." Chung answered, he helped himself up to his feet. "Aisha woke up while you were snoring away like a baby."

"We rushed you two back to Amos' place for medical treatment," Elsword added. "You should be thanking Chung. He patched you two up in record time."

"I expect a ton of food in return." Chung crossed his arms. "Elsword, go get the potion for her."

Elsword frowned," why me?"

"Because it's your job as the leader to look after us," Elsword rolled his eyes at Chung's response.

"Fine I'll get your stupid potion." He stomped his way out the room, sighing dramatically on the way out.

"I also don't want him stinking up this room any more." Chung added, I chuckled at his remark. "So how are you feeling?" His eyes trailed down to my leg. "Does your leg still hurt?"

I shake my head," I don't really feel any pain." I readjust my injured leg. "It just feels a bit numb."

"The medicine I used will do that to you." He explained, readjusting his eyes to the wall. "You should be fine by tomorrow."

I pulled my covers over my mouth," t-thanks for looking after me." I said, with warmed cheeks. "I'm sorry for always getting hurt."

"You don't have to apologize." He scratched his face. "Getting hurt is all part of the job." He turned his head away. "As a team mate I'll always be helping you out."

I smiled at his comment," so does that mean"-I lowered my cover to reveal my cheesy grin-"we're officially best friends?"

"Whatever," he replied in an instant, keeping his head turned away from me.

"I'll take that as a yes," I said, clapping my hands together. "This is so great, we'll be able to go shopping together, beat each other up, braid each other's hair-"

"I am not going to braid hair with you." Chung snapped, turning his head back to me. "And don't think I'm going to go shopping with you." He added, narrowing his eyes.

"Come on, Rapunzel, we both know you're dying for someone to braid that hair." I giggled. "You'll be thanking me in the future."

"Why are you so weird?" Chung thought out loud, shaking his head. "And what's taking Elsword so long with that potion?"

"He probably got distracted on the way." I could hear him and Aisha shouting somewhere-of course he'd start an argument the instant he bumps into her.

Silence quickly fell between us. My mind began to replay the attack, forcing me to hear those cried for help; to see those limp bodies. The hairs on the back of my neck rose at the recent memories.

"On a more serious note; what's our next move?" I fold my hands together. "It's obvious the Nasods have enough power to take down the Ponggos' defences, and now they know we're here to fight with them."

Chung sighed, running his fingers through his hair," there's so much we need to do now." He began. "There is so much more at risk now, and we need to make sure our actions won't cause any more harm. Those villagers are depending on us. "

My stomach turned at the thought of protecting the remaining Ponggos. We're now responsible for the lives of every villager. One wrong move and they're dead.

"Are we going to focus of defending the village? Or are we going to attack the Nasods before they attack us again?" I ask, playing with my thumbs.

"I think we'll need to do both." Chung replied, with a sigh. "We can't defend the village alone and allow the Nasods to build up their army, and we can't go attacking the Nasods while leaving the village defenceless."

"Why don't we get other Red Knights to help us?" I ask. "Like we did in Bethma."

"Elsword is thinking of that," Chung answered. "But we're not just dealing with some monster this time, we're facing the possibility of going to war. War is expensive, and we won't be able to have an army to fight along side with us unless the Red Knight officials agree to help."

"We can get the Bethma warriors to help us." I persisted. "I bet Stella would be more than happy to fight the Nasods."

"Bethma is still healing, and I doubt the villagers would want to enter war at this state."

"We can't just fight alone." I snap, burning with frustration. "Going against the Nasods alone is suicide, they'll kill us off before the day is even over."

"Elsword and Raven are going to think of a plan." Chung explained, keeping his voice calm and steady. "We're going to play defensive until they come up with something."

"I hate playing the waiting game." I said, pouting. "The more time we use to plan, the bigger that Nasod army will get."

"I know," Chung sighed, rubbing his eyes. "But there's not much we can do at this point."

The argument between Elsword and Aisha began to grow louder.

"I'm going to see what's happening out there." Chung said, turning his back to me.

"Alright," I whispered. A little voice in my head told me to say something, anything, to make him stay a bit longer. I bit my tongue, keeping myself from blurting out anything stupid.

"Take it easy for now," he added, glancing back with a smile-my heart skipped a beat at his action. "I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a bit crazy."

Without another word he made his way out, leaving me alone with warmed cheeks and a racing heart.

I pull the cover over my head, wondering why I suddenly feel so fluttered around him.


	42. 42

"Ara," someone tapped me on the shoulder. "It is morning, you must wake up now." They continued to poke at me.

I squint my eyes open to see Eve standing by my bedside, her drones sitting comfortably at the edge of the bed. I lazily sit myself up, my mind still swirling between the world of sleep and reality.

"What time is it?" I ask, covering my mouth as I let out a yawn.

"It is ten," she answered, taking a step back. "Amos and his sister has left to help the town clean up."

My stomach turned at the memories from last night. It sickens me to know so many villagers were hurt and killed by the attackers-we couldn't do anything to help them.

"Is Amos and Agatha..." I trailed off. "A-are they okay?"

Eve nodded," we talked to them this morning and they seemed to understand our efforts." She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Agatha didn't seem so happy with the outcome, but told us she was not upset at us. She knew we did everything we could."

At least Agatha is slowly warming up to us, I thought.

"That's good to hear." I said under my breath. "How are you coping with everything?" Eve stiffened at my question. "Are you feeling okay-"

"I'm fine." She cut me off.

"But-"

"Please do not ask me that again," she turned her head away from me. "This is something you should not be poking your nose into."

"Sorry," I said, lowering my eyes. "It won't happen again."

I readjust myself on the bed, with my sheets shuffling loudly in the process.

I place a hand over my numbed leg, it looks like some of the potion's effect is still in play.

"Elsword and Aisha have been arguing." Eve began, in a more cheerful tone. "They're debating whether or not you and Aisha should continue to fight."

"Of course we'll continue to fight." I blurt out, tightening my fists at the thought of doing nothing. "Especially at a time like this."

Eve tilted her head to the door," good luck telling Elsword that." She folded her arms. "I was going to slap him, but Raven told me it'd be best of I left him alone."

I couldn't help but laugh at Eve's remark, she raised her brow at my reaction," what is with you and slapping people?" I asked, while helping myself out of bed. "Smacking someone across the face won't help them in any way."

"Of course it can." She replied confidently. "I'm simply smacking some sense into my victim. Is that not a saying you humans use?"

"I doubt you're supposed to take that seriously." I muttered; opening the bedroom door. I could hear the faint sound of Aisha and Elsword's voice sounding further in the house, each one attacking the other with toxic words.

"Here we go." I thought out loud, and clumsily began my way to them.

"You're so stubborn." Elsword's voice sounded. "Why can't you just-"

"You don't tell me what I can do." Aisha cut him off. "I'll go fight if I want to."

Elsword snorted," I'm your leader. You will not attack unless I say so."

"I won't listen to foolish orders." Aisha snapped.

"I'm only looking out for you." Elsword said, in a much softer tone. "Please, just listen this one time."

Aisha cursed," and sit around doing nothing?"

Elsword groaned at her response.

I enter the crowded living room to see the remaining team members spilled on the couch, watching as Elsword and Aisha bickered to one another; Yang slept peacefully in a corner, somehow oblivious to their heated debate.

"You are all very immature." Eve spoke from behind me, her voice catching Elsword and Aisha's attention. "How can you still be debating about the same thing?"

"Perfect, Ara is awake." Aisha went on, ignoring Eve's comment. I really hope she won't get slapped for that. "Ara, care to share your opinion on this matter?"

Chung groaned in annoyance," don't drag her into this." He muttered.

"Be quiet, Chung, this is an important issue." Aisha snapped, quieting Chung in an instant. She averted her attention back to me," do you want to rest or help the team fight?"

"You can answer honestly." Elsword added, earning him a punch to the stomach from Aisha.

"Don't you think it'll be best for us to help the team _fight_?" Aisha said, emphasizing the word 'fight'. "At a time like this we need everyone's strength."

Elsword quickly added on," or you two should stay back and rest." Aisha rolled her eyes at his suggestion. "It'll be smart for you two rest -"

"Elsword, we all know you're incapable of making smart decisions." Aisha pushed him roughly to the side; she regained eye contact with me. "So what do you think?"

All eyes turned to me, eagerly waiting for my response. My stomach turned as I struggled to voice out my opinion," I-I think we should h-help fight." Elsword's face dropped at my response-a quickly mouthed an apology to him.

"I can't believe this is happening." Elsword said under his breath, he began to pace around the small living room. "We can't be sending you two out to fight already."

"Be calm, Elsword." Raven piped in, he grabbed Elsword by his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. "Our plan works best with more people, if you're concerned about the girls' safety we can put together a secure team for them."

Elsword pushed Raven's hand away," whatever." He spat, and stomped his into the kitchen; Raven following shortly behind.

Maybe I should've chose to rest, I thought as my fingers wandered to the ends of my hair. If I had chosen to rest maybe Elsword wouldn't be in such a bad mood, but that would also mean we would weaken as a group. I really hope he won't be angry at me for doing this.

"Hey," Chung snapped me out of my thoughts; he gestured to the empty spot beside him. "Instead of standing there and playing with your hair like an idiot, come and sit down."

"D-don't call me an idiot." I hesitantly made my way to him.

"Whatever you say, idiot." I smacked the back of his head before taking my seat beside him. At the corner of my eye I could see Aisha raising her brow at my action.

I slouched down into the couch as Chung scooted aside to give me more space. I stared blankly at the wall as my mind raced for something to talk about, but all I could think about was my decision to side with Aisha-I highly doubt Chung would want to reflect on my decisions with me.

I glanced over at Chung to see him playing with his fingers; not bothering to strike up a conversation with me.

Why bother calling me over if he won't even talk to me?

"Have you guys eaten breakfast yet?" I decided to ask, in hopes of loosening up the tension.

Chung shook his head," those two block heads wouldn't allow any of us to eat until they came to a conclusion." I could hear Chung's stomach growling in agreement.

I bet Elsword would've wanted us to stay back; he only wants the best for us. Yet I sided with Aisha, insisting on throwing our lives back to the battle field.

I clasped my clammy hands together," do you think Elsword is mad at me for siding with Aisha?" My voice came out soft, to keep Aisha from listening.

"Probably," Chung replied without a second thought.

I could feel my heart dropping to my stomach, filling me with nauseating guilt. I tightened my cold hands together, suddenly losing my will to fight.

Maybe I can confront Elsword and tell him I changed my mind.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it though," Chung added, while stretching out his arms. "He may not be the smartest person in the world, but he's willing to respect his friends' opinions-even if they conflict with his own wishes."

I could feel my shoulders finally relaxing," that's good to hear." I took a slow breath in. "Do you know what Elsword and Raven are planning to do?"

Chung shrugged," they haven't told us anything, but Eve overheard the proposed idea of exploring deeper into Nasod territory."

I frowned," wouldn't our trespassing be considered a threat?"

I doubt the Nasods would be happy seeing a bunch of armed humans walking around their territory.

"The tension in Altera has risen to a very dangerous level." Chung explained in a whisper. "At this point, we're just waiting for someone, anyone, to ignite the fire."

I could hear Eve and Aisha speaking to one another in hushed voices, both exchanging their share of leaked information.

"I didn't think Red Knight parties would ever deal with these things." I confessed; pulling my knees up to my chest. "I thought we just fought demons and protected vulnerable villages."

Chung scooted closer to me, his shoulder resting against mine," it's surprising what we get ourselves into." He said, in a barely audible tone. "One day we're helping some tiny village fight off some trouble-making demons, and the next thing we know, we're caught in the middle of a rising war."

"I guess that's what makes this..." I trailed off, trying to find the right words. "Fun."

"Fun?" Chung repeated. "How is any of this fun?"

"Everyday is a new adventure." I reasoned, with warmed cheeks. "Sure things get tough and sometimes it feels like we've hit rock bottom, but we're able to get through each challenge as a team, and afterwards we set off to another adventure."

I glanced beside me to see Chung's neutral face staring straight ahead, his blank eyes refusing to show any emotion to my comment. I wonder if I said something wrong. I seem to be doing that a lot lately.

"I suppose you're right." He finally responded. "But it's hard to see it as an adventure once something irreversible happens." He closed his eyes. "It can make those 'adventures' hard to enjoy."

I couldn't help but think back to Buch, Aisha's grandfather, the village elder, and the many villagers killed in Bethma. If we had just been a bit stronger we could've saved them-we could've lost one of our team mates.

"Listen up team!" Raven announced, as he made his way out of the kitchen-Elsword following shortly behind him. He waited until all eyes were on him before continuing, "Elsword and I have finalized our plan."

"We've also arranged everyone in a strong and secure team." Elsword added, his eyes wandering to Aisha. "You should be safe throughout the plan."

"Last night, Elsword and I discussed the many actions we can take on the Nasods," Raven went on, keeping his voice raised. "After much discussion we have come to a mutual agreement."

"We need to know who and what we're exactly up against." Elsword added, straightening himself up. "It's obvious these Nasods no longer listen to their Queen, so their old attack tactics will no longer be in play."

I took a quick glance at Eve, her face showed no sign of hurt from Elsword's statement.

"We plan to explore the Nasod territory further," Raven began to slowly pace around the room. "Our goal is to find out where their base is, how many soldiers they have gathered, and where their leader may be."

"Wouldn't exploration provoke the Nasods to attack us again?" Aisha asked, before I got a chance to.

Raven and Elsword exchanged glances," it's a risk we'll need to take." Raven answered. "We _need _to know more about our enemies."

They paused, allowing us to absorb the newly given information.

"According to Agatha," Raven continued. "Altera isn't very big, so we can split into two groups and still be able to cover a good amount of land."

"One group with explore the East side of the island and the other will take care of the West." Elsword announced. "The Eastern group will consist of Eve, Chung, and Ara."

"Which leaves me, Elsword, and Aisha as the Western group." Raven concluded, his eyes studied the room for possible rejections. "We plan to leave Yang here to guard the village, it's better to have one of our members here than none at all."

"We'll be leaving right after we eat," Elsword said, rubbing his stomach. His childish action earned him some laughter from us. "Raven and I will provide each of the groups with all the necessary supplies, so don't worry about packing up."

"Any questions?" Raven asked.

"Can we eat now?" Aisha called out. Raven shook his head at her response.

"Just sit down and let us get the food." He pushed Elsword back into the kitchen, ignoring Elsword's many protests.

Chung and I shuffled down the couch to make more rooms for the girls. Eve sat down beside me while Aisha sat at the far end of the couch.

I wanted to ask Eve if she was going to be okay with the plan-if she'll be fine with us attacking the Nasods, but I knew it'll upset her if I was to bring that subject up.

Instead of confronting Eve, I decide to keep quiet. Mentally praying that Eve will be prepared to attack any incoming Nasods.

* * *

Breakfast flew by in a flash, each of us garbled down our food as fast as we could-we couldn't afford to waste any more time. After I had finished my meal I quickly took a shower and changed into my Sander robe. It felt refreshing to finally change into something different; our Bethma robes were starting to smell.

I carefully slid my hairpin into place. Eun's presence returned the instant the pin was securely in my hair, it welcomed me with its warm aura.

_I am very relieved to see that you are okay. _Eun said softly. _If I had lost you I wouldn't know what I would do._

"I'm glad we were able to make it out in one piece." I spoke aloud, not caring if it sounds like I'm talking loudly to myself. "And I'm sure someone in the team would've been willing to sign a contract with you. They know you're good now."

_I suppose you're right. _Eun answered, as I made my way out the bathroom. _However, it would not be the same fighting along side with them._

My heart warmed at Eun's comment.

_Ara, I have been with you since you were a child. It would not be easy for me to move on so easily. _Eun paused for a moment. _I suppose this is what you humans call a family bond._

Family, once again that word send shivers down my spine.

It makes it feel odd for me to consider Eun a part of my family, especially since it isn't human, but it's been by my side the longest. Even if it hadn't made itself known to me until recently, Eun has always protected me-looked after me.

"Think fast." Before I could properly react someone pushes me from behind, causing me to fall flat on the ground.

"I'm going to kill you," I growl, snapping my head back to see my attacker.

Chung stuck his tongue out like a child," you should always have you guard up." He laughed-holding his hand out to me. "You never know if someone or something followed you back home."

"That's a nice thought to have at the back of your mind." I took his hand.

"Just a helpful survival tip." He pulled me back to me feet. "You'll thank me for that someday, fox lady."

I wanted to punch him for calling me 'fox lady', but decided against it-he was now protected by his bone-breaking armour, my poor fist wouldn't stand a chance against it.

"Let's hurry and meet up with the others," he said, hurriedly pushing me out to the living room.

_Remember, Ara, if you ever want this annoying child out of the way-_

'I don't think you'll ever need to take over for me.' I interrupted. ' Chung isn't _that_ unbearable.'

_If you say so._

The living room was fairly empty, with only Eve and Aisha in it. Elsword and Raven are probably off putting together some final supplies, while Aisha and Eve warmed themselves up for the long journey ahead. Chung called out to Eve, catching her attention almost in an instant.

"Did Elsword and Raven give us the supplies yet?" Chung asked, as she finished her stretch.

Eve nodded," we have food, water, and a ton of medical supplies." She snapped her fingers together, summoning out her two drones, each one helping to carry out an old backpack.

"I can carry it," I volunteered-Eve shook her head at my response.

"You just recovered from a sever injury." She explained, crossing her arms together. "I will not allow you to carry such weight on this journey."

"But I'm feeling-"

Eve held her hand up, not wanting to hear from me anymore. She turned to face Chung," be a gentleman and carry the supplies for us." She said, as her drones hovered closer to him.

Chung frowned at her request," why should I carry it? You're fully capable-"

Eve held her hand up, positioning it close to his cheek. Chung took a sharp breath in before taking the backpack, stumbling as he struggled to put it on.

"S-should we go get our weapons now?" I asked, not sure if this was the right time to speak up.

"Sounds like a good idea," Eve agreed, with her drones now rested on her shoulders. "Chung, do you remember where we stashed-"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll get them." He muttered; stomping his way to the back of the house.

"Such a tempered child." Eve commented, with a large smile.

I nod in agreement," he's slowly learning how to be a proper gentleman."

Eve covered her mouth, but I could still make out the muffled sound of her giggling. I couldn't help but smile at her bubbly mood, I don't think I've been able to see her this cheerful since we came to Altera.

I hope she'll be able to stay this happy after we return to the village tonight.


	43. 43

**Heads up, this is a more lengthy chapter, read with a nice little snack, a comfortable place, and if it's cold, cuddle in in a warm blanket ^0^**

Chung, Eve, and I left the village first and was able to cover a large chunk of land before noon hit. The afternoon weather wasn't as merciless as Bethma, we could walk out in the open sun without having our head roasted. There was also a constant breeze blowing throughout, cooling us from the sun's heat.

To my surprise, we didn't run into any large groups of Nasods. We would occasionally bump into a small group of mining Nasods, but we were able to take them out with ease.

I kept a close eye on Eve each time we came across Nasods, but she showed no emotion throughout the fights. It's as if she's stopped caring about her race-I doubt that's the case though.

She's most likely trying to control her emotions, not wanting us to worry about her well-being. I'm just worried she'll snap from the stress. I really hope she'll be able to confront someone soon about her emotions.

I don't know what time it was when we finally brought out some food to eat. Lunch wasn't as impressive as I had hoped, it had consisted of several apple slices, some lettuce, and what appeared to be fried bugs-I gave that part to Chung.

We ate our meal in silence, no one bothered to comment on the horribly made meal as we were busy keeping our ears out for danger.

"Do you think the other group came across anything?" Chung asked abruptly, and took a bite out of an apple slice.

"Maybe." I replied, swallowing the last of the lettuce. "They probably didn't get as far as us though. We did leave earlier than them."

"I refuse to return unless we come across something today." Eve piped in, as she quickened her pace." We could be wandering all night for all I care."

"We can't just wander aimlessly out here." Chung said, swallowing the last of his meal. "If we can't find anything today then we need to try again another day."

"That would be a waste of time." Eve responded, with tensed shoulders. "We need all the information we can about the Nasods, the longer we go on without it the more vulnerable we become."

"Wandering all night would exhaust us, and it'd leave us even more vulnerable." Eve stopped in her tracks at Chung's comment.

"You do not understand the seriousness of the situation." She said, before continuing to walk.

Chung laughed in response," I fully understand what's happening and what position we're in. It's you who has trouble seeing our problems."

"Don't talk to me like that, peasant." Eve's drones hovered defensively beside her in attempts to show their support for her.

Chung tightened his fists together, with eyes locked on Eve. For a moment it appeared Chung was ready to attack Eve, but before I could interject he spoke up,

"I've had enough of this act." He took a sharp breath in. "The problem with you is that you let your emotions take over."

My heart dropped at the sound of his comment. I darted my eyes between Eve and Chung, suddenly feeling scared at Eve's possible reaction.

"Nasods do not-"

"Don't pull that 'no emotion card' on me again." Chung cut her off.

Eve stopped stopped walking.

Chung stood dangerously close behind her, not fearing to be slapped be her. I shyly stood behind them, like a child watching helplessly as their parents fought in front of them.

"Look, I'm just trying to be a good friend to you." Chung added, in a much softer tone.

Eve gave no response.

"If you can't go on with this mission you can stop, take a break, do something-anything to keep you from breaking down."

"Be quiet!" Eve turned around, and swung her open palm across Chung's face.

I cringed at sound of her hand colliding into Chung's face, a small echo sounded from the impact.

With my heart now racing, I gingerly back away from Eve and Chung, not wanting to get myself caught in their argument.

"I do not need human friends to worry about me." She spoke through clenched teeth.

I couldn't help but think back to Raven's comment.

"Eve-"

"Enough," she cut him off, and turned her back to him. "Let us continue forward. There is still much land we need to explore."

Chung didn't say another word, with a hand around his reddened cheek, he followed behind her.

'What should I do, Eun?' I asked, as I began to walk alongside with them-my clammy hands tightly grasping onto my spear.

_There is not much we can do. _Eun replied. _If your friend does not want help then the best thing we can do is to abide to her wishes._

'But it feels wrong to just sit back and not say anything.'

I sheepishly glance up at my friends.

_Saying something may do more harm than good._

'I guess you have a point.' I replied, fidgeting with my spear lightly.

I wonder if it's really okay for me to just leave them like that. Would it be harming the situation further; or would it be helpful not to jump in?

As we proceeded further I could make out a faint smell of flowers, which wasn't unusual as we were surrounded by nature, but the scent grew more irritating as we walked further. I began sneezing as the scent grew more concentrated, making my nose itch like there's no tomorrow.

_The level of pollen in the air is highly unusual. _Eun commented, as I let out another loud sneeze.

'It's just pollen, Eun. There's no need to worry.' I thought, rubbing my now stuffy nose.

_It just doesn't add up. _Eun went on. _I do not see much flowers in this island, and I doubt the trees are strong enough to create such a high concentration of pollen._

"Another Nasod." I could hear Chung grumbling.

'We'll talk about this later.'

Perking my head up, I could see the distant shape of an approaching Nasod. We came to a slow halt and prepared ourselves for confrontation. My nose twitched at the itching scent of pollen, once again I let out another sneeze.

_There is something off with the Nasod. _Eun warned.

'What do you mean, Eun?'

_Look at how it walks. _Eun pointed to the sluggish Nasod. _It looks as if an amateur puppeteer is controlling ts movements._

I focus my attention on the Nasod's slender limbs. As Eun had pointed, the Nasod moved each limb with struggle, awkwardly positioning each limb for the next step. I sniffed and once again sneezed from the tingling in my nose-if this keeps up my heightened sense of smell will be useless.

"That Nasod looks off." Eve commented in a whisper; she took a step back. "It's movements are awkward, even for an old Nasod."

Chung lowered his cannon at her comment," do we still attack it?"

She shook her head," I suggest we study it a bit longer." She gestured her two drones behind her. "We may have come across something new."

Chung and I lowered our weapons as the Nasod dragged itself closer to us, each awkward movement gave out an old squeak from the rusted joints.

I began sneezing more aggressively as the Nasod drew closer.

Slowly the old Nasod came into better view. Like many of the miner Nasods, it wielded two drills at the end of each arm-both weapons both rusted and infested with a green fuzzy coat. The Nasod's body was rusted at almost every corner, it is impossible to make out the colour on it, as the paint has been too damaged and worn out. A fuzzy green substance grew along the Nasods body, infecting every visible limb like a hungry parasite.

The Nasod took another step forward, its rusted legs trembling under its body weight.

We doubled back from the strange Nasod, not knowing what to do with it. I exchanged quick glances with Eve, hoping she has some knowledge as to what is on the Nasod.

"W-what's wrong with you?" Eve managed to choke out.

The Nasod did not respond, and continued toward us, like a mindless zombie.

"I-it looks like some kind of spore has grown on it." Chung said, holding his cannon up. "Is the spores causing it to act this weird?"

I covered my face as I let out another sneeze. I backed further away from the Nasod. It's obvious I'm not just sneezing from some lingering pollen in the air, it's because of whatever is on that Nasod. I need to stay as far away from it if I want to last a minute without sneezing.

Eve hesitantly took a step forward, with her drones hovered closely behind her," why are there spores on your body?" She demanded.

The Nasod halted at her question. It slowly turned its head in her direction, keeping its dead whitened eyes on her, as if she's some display in a museum. Eve clenched her fists and kept still as the enemy studied her. Chung and I quietly prepared our weapons in case the Nasod decided to jump at Eve.

"A...higher...power...Nasod?" The broken miner spoke in a rasped voice.

Eve took a sharp breath in," do you remember me; your Queen?"

"A...stronger...Nasod...to...control."

Almost instantly the Nasod sprung forward at Eve, the sudden burst of speed ripped one of its rusted arms off. Chung and I struggled to launch an attack at it, none of us expected the Nasod to move at such an abrupt speed.

"Spit Fire - Flush!" Eve waved her hand up, summoning out a female-like Nasod. Eve's Nasod quickly surrounded her with a pink electric force-field just as the enemy came close to her.

The electricity ran through the enemy Nasod's body in an instant, breaking down what is left of the old broken Nasod. Eve gestured her servant to stop the attack as the enemy Nasod finally went limp-its smoking body dropped down motionless as Eve's servant stopped its attack.

"Very good, Ophelia." Eve said, with a satisfied smile. "I can always count on you and Oberon."

"I am glad to serve you, My Queen." Ophelia bowed to Eve before vanishing with a flash of light.

Eve returned her attention to the now destroyed Nasod, she tapped it lightly with her foot before kneeling beside it to examine it further. Chung and I joined her shortly after.

"Do you know what kind of spore this is?" Chung asked, pointing to the burnt green spores.

Eve shook her head," I have never encountered such a thing in my kingdom." Her eyes darted along the infected areas of the Nasod's body. "This is all very new to me."

"There might be some up ahead." I said, helping myself back to my feet. "Maybe those weird spores have something to do with the strange behaviour."

"If that is the case, we must go and avenge this Nasod." Eve stood up, gesturing her drones behind her. "We must hurry. If these spores are causing these Nasods to act up, then we must destroy them as soon as we can."

Eve snapped her fingers together; on queue, her two drones lift her up from behind and push her forward.

"I'll go on ahead." She called out, before gliding further down the grassy plain.

Chung and I quickly followed behind her. As we ran further down the plains we could start to see mountains forming in the distance, with the smell of spores strengthening with each step.

Eve came to a sudden halt up ahead, Chung and I quickened our pace before stopping beside her. We looked out to the mountains and saw what appeared to be a large opening in one of the mountain sides. The familiar zombie-like Nasods could be seen dragging themselves out-from a distance they looked like injured soldiers escaping from their infiltrated base.

I looked over at Eve, she stared at the Nasods with a sullen expression; her hands formed into trembling fists.

"Are you ready to go in?" I asked, sniffing my now stuffed nose.

Eve gave a stiff nod, while keeping her eyes glued to the infected Nasods.

Chung lifted his cannon up, resting the heavy weapon on his shoulder," are you sure we should charge in there blindly? This could be some secret base the Nasod army built."

"This is not an ordinary Nasod base." Eve defended. "The Nasod from before was not moving at its own will, and I suspect every other Nasod down there is moving against their own will."

She took a quick glance at Chung. "We need to go in that cave, these spores may be a new threat to us and the Nasods."

"You have a good point." Chung said, readjusting his cannon. "Is everyone ready to go down there?"

We each gave a quick nod before charging toward the mountains. Our swift actions were quickly noticed by the Nasods. The zombie-like army charged after us, each one holding up its old rusted drills as weapons.

Chung launched a missile at them, blowing a majority of the Nasods into bits. I quickly took care of the remaining Nasods with a couple of slashes, no real effort had to be put in as the Nasods were terribly damaged to begin with.

We each came to a stop as we approached the opening. The inside of the cave was poorly lit, the only light source I could make out was the flickering lanterns hanging from the dark walls. We could now hear the faint sounds of Nasod drills from the inside-chipping away whatever is left inside.

Eve was the first to step in, with Chung and I following shortly behind her. We kept quiet as we entered the dimly lit tunnel, our feet crunching loudly on the crumbs of dirt and pebbles sprawled along the ground.

Thanks to my heightened vision, I could see the many red plants rooted around the tunnel-some made its home on the ground while others hung above us. They appeared to be large red flowers; but why would flowers grow in such a dark place?

"Stop," Eve hissed, putting her arm out to keep us from going.

"What's wrong?" Chung asked.

Eve took a cautious step back, almost as if she's backing away from a stalking predator, she pointed up ahead," look." She whispered.

Chung and I poked our heads up to get a better view at whatever she's pointing to. Under a flickering lantern sat one of the red flowers; however, unlike the many other flowers we had come across, this particular one was trembling. We watched in shock as the plant spat out small green spores, each tiny spore encircled the flower, as if they recognized it as their mother.

"Aren't those the spores on the Nasods?" I whispered.

"Yes," Eve replied, and took a small step forward. "I do not know if they are a threat to humans."

They're a threat to me, I thought as I rubbed my watering eyes. This is the worse time for my nose to get stuffy and my eyes to tear up.

"Wait," Chung quickly grabbed onto Eve's shoulder. "Wouldn't you put yourself in trouble by going near those things? What if they infect you?"

Eve's eyes widened at Chung's comment," I can't believe I forgot about that." She muttered, and doubled back from the plant.

"Chung, you go first." I insisted, pushing him weakly to the front.

"W-why should I go?" He asked, raising his voice. "Why can't you go?"

"I can't breathe," I sniffed, in hopes of clearing my nose. "And my eyes are starting to water up."

He narrowed his eyes at me before stepping forward, Eve and I joined hands before following slowly from behind.

"Stay," he ordered us, and proceeded closer to the plant.

I squeezed Eve's hand as he inched closer to the plant, praying the spores won't be able to harm him.

If the spores can take over a Nasod; what's to say the spore can't take control of a human? If Chung does get infected by it; how will we knock him back to his senses? Can he be cured by some kind of potion? Or will we have to resort to killing?

I tighten my grip on Eve's hand, my palm quickly growing clammy. I unconsciously held my breath as he stopped a few inches in front of the plant, holding out a shaking hand toward it.

"Ow!" He abruptly jumped back; scaring me in the process.

I quickly let go of Eve's hand and rushed to his side," w-what happened?" I asked, searching for wounds on his body.

He cursed, shaking his hand like its got burned," those spores shocked me." He said, a bit too loudly.

"Shocked you?" I quoted, with a raised brow.

"I wanted to see what it'd do if I touched it," he confessed, glaring at the tiny green spores. "Then it just shocked me-"

He quickly pushed me back before he could finish speaking. I was confused at the abrupt action, but quickly realized what he was trying to protect me from. The flower was trembling once again, readying to release more spores.

"We need to destroy that thing." He slammed his cannon on the ground, causing crumbs of debris to fall from the ceiling. "Scare Chase!"

Chung shot out a single missile. Upon contact with the flower, the missile let out a bright blue light before bursting the flower, along with any nearby spores, into bits.

Bigger chunks of rock fell loose from the impact-my heart raced at the thought of the tunnel collapsing. We better fight carefully if we want to make it out alive.

"You two okay?" Chung asked, dusting his armour off.

"We're fine," Eve answered-somehow in a steady voice. "Let us hurry through this tunnel, I am starting to grow disgusted by its poor conditions."

We walked further in without a single word, Chung cleared as many flowers as he could along the way, each time causing the tunnel to loosen further.

My heart beat quickened with each tremble, the thought of running out of here quickly became a pretty good idea. If this keeps up Chung will end up killing us all.

I'm seriously going to punch him when we get out of this mess.

"Wow, slow down." He suddenly held a hand out to stop us. "Let me take a closer look this."

"What's wrong?" Eve asked, poking her head up.

"There's some kind of room ahead of us." He answered, without looking back at us. "You guys have got to see this."

He stepped aside to reveal a large opening, the inside looked like a garden as the red flowers could be seen in almost every corner of the room. A faint groan sounded from the inside, catching my full attention.

"I hear someone inside." I announced, straining my ears to pick up on more sound.

"It could be an injured Nasod." Eve piped in, pushing us aside. "We need to hurry."

We hurried into the room. The inside was more impressive than I had imagined. All around I could see red flowers sprouting from the walls, ceiling, and floor; infecting the interior like parasites. Several dead Nasods laid between the flowers, each one covered with the green spores. At the centre of the room grew a large red flower, its body protected by some kind of Nasod machine-green spores danced at the yellow centre of the flower, unaware of our presence.

"Ara, can hear anything?" Chung asked, aiming his cannon at the large red flower.

"Not anymore." I confessed. "I'll try checking around the room for them."

"I'll accompany you." Eve said, grasping onto my arm. "I apologize if the spores get to me."

I nodded understandingly before proceeding deeper into the room. I gingerly thread my way around the limp Nasods and motionless flowers, careful not to damage them.

Shivers ran up my spine as my leg brushed against a flower-it was unusually warm to the touch. The flower shook in response, releasing a couple of spores. Eve and I hurriedly took a different path.

"...help...me..." A faint voice sounded to my right. I snapped my head at the general direction, and perked my head up to get a better view.

"Do you hear something?" Eve whispered, her fingers tightening around my arm.

"There's someone over there." I pointed to the vast row of flowers. "Let's hurry."

"Calm down," Eve pulled me back before I could take another step. "We need to take this slowly and carefully," she said, her eyes boring tensely into mine. "We need to make sure whoever there is safe, along with ourselves."

My face warmed at her statement," r-right." I took a small step forward. "S-sorry about that."

We thread through the narrow paths slowly. I grew more impatient as we took each planned step; if we continue to walk at this rate the person or Nasod would be dead before we can even reach them. I unconsciously quickened my pace several times, but Eve caught me before I could get us into any trouble.

After what felt like forever, we could finally see a white figure-even from a distance I could tell it was a Nasod. However, unlike the other Nasods, this Nasod doesn't seem to be in control of the spores yet, as it can be seen struggling to drag itself up and calling for help.

"Psst." I called out to it, while keeping my voice low. "Hey, can you hear me?"

The Nasod stopped instantly at the sound of my voice," who...is...there?" It asked, turning its head weakly to the side.

"Stay where you are." Eve piped in. "We're coming to you."

The Nasod didn't respond, but it had obediently ceased its movement. Eve and I gingerly made our way around a few more plants, each of us holding back the strong urge to run recklessly to it.

When we had finally reached the Nasod, it could barely stand on its legs. Tiny green spores hovered around it like a flock of mosquitoes, some of the spores had successfully planted themselves on the Nasod's slender legs, rendering them useless.

Surprisingly the spores didn't seem to care much about our presence, they appear to be more worried about the still sane Nasod.

"A Nasod Scout." Eve thought out loud, the weak Nasod perked its head up at the name. Eve smiled stiffly at it, her shoulder tensing as the Nasod examined her closer.

"You...are...the Queen?" The scout asked, tilting its head.

Eve bobbed her head," y-yes, I am." She spoke softly; the confidence that once dripped her voice now buried under doubt and hesitation. "I-I am the Queen that had failed m-my kind." She bowed her head. "I am sorry."

"You...shouldn't lower your...head...Your Majesty." The scout said, as it readjusted itself on its remaining legs.

Eve held her breath at the scout's reply.

"You shouldn't bow...your head to a peasant..." The scout shakily lowered itself. "It is I...who should bow to you..."

Eve perked her head up, jaw dropped at what the Nasod had said," y-you still accept me as your Queen?" Her eyes began to redden-and I highly doubt its from the spores.

"Of course...many others still see you...as our true Queen-our Little Queen of Nasods."

Eve covered her mouth with both her hands, her shoulders starting to tremble.

"Your majesty..." The Nasod weakly lifted its head up. "I apologize...on be half of our kind...we had grown bitter over the years...and many had blamed such...inevitable events on you."

I put an arm around Eve as tears began to fall from her eyes. I tightly grasped onto her as her legs began to tremble-she allowed me to hold her as the tears came down harder.

"I-I can't believe," she cried, trying to wipe every last tear away. "Y-you acknowledge me a-as your-" She choked up on the last word. "...Queen."

Her legs caved in as she spoke the last word, I quickly held onto her before she could fall to the ground-her two drones helping me out.

"I have waited...for you to return...for so long...My Queen...I knew you'd return...I am so happy to see you..." The Nasod began to slump, the spores quickly infecting more of its body.

"Welcome home...Your Majesty."


	44. 44

**You guys probably figured out by now, my publishing schedule is leaning more to every third week. As much as I want to update every second week I can't, it takes a long time to write and edit these chapters, and if I only work on this story I won't have time to work on other works. If I have chapters ready by the second week I'll upload them, but chances of that happening are quite low at this point. So please be patient people.**

**Also thanks to everything that's supported this story so far, it warms my heart to see everyone enjoying it :D**

**On a side note (this isn't that important but I wanna share it because I can) if you've read "The Great Gastby" tell me; don't you think Gastby and Nick are cute together? *Spoiler*...Gatsby is like the emotional "girlfriend" trying to get over their past lover and Nick is the cool and collected "boyfriend" that's always there for him, even if Gatsby can be a bit odd and fake at times (okay all the time). They're like my otp XD**

* * *

"Welcome home...Your Majesty."

The Nasod slumped down as its legs gave in, the tiny green spores encircling it began to infect the rest of its body, eating away all that is still 'healthy'.

"Get away from it," Eve broke herself free from my arms and fell to her knees," I won't let those spores get you." She wrapped her arms around the Nasod; wincing as she made contact with the spores.

I cursed under my breath as the spores began surrounding Eve," we need to get you two to safety." I said, readying to charge through the flowers.

"Eve, are you able to walk?" I asked, while searching for the best escape route.

"These spores are barely inflicting damage on me." She replied-getting up to her feet, with the Nasod still firmly in her arms.

As if the spores had heard her comment, the red flowers around us began to tremble, readying to release more spores into the room.

"Stay close behind me," I ordered, as I positioned my spear to our chosen path.

"Fierce Tiger Strike!" I charge forward, crushing as many flowers as I could along the way.

"Spit Fire - Flush!" Eve summoned out her servant to take care of the remaining flowers.

_Be careful, Ara. _Eun drew my attention to the mass of trembling flowers; some had already released their spores. _If those spores build up, your team will not stand a chance. _

"Got it, Eun." I drew out Eun's power before charging further down the path.

"Flying Kite!" With a burst of speed I jump from plant to plant, quickly piercing each one before moving on to the next.

A small voice in my head told me to hurry as the path of flowers grew less dense, my heart quickened at our approaching escape.

_Watch out! _

Eun took over and quickly ducked, barely missing the yellow laser flying over our heads. Shivers ran down my spine at my near-death experience, if Eun was one second slower we'd be toast.

"Ara, are you okay?" Eve asked, coughing as more spores began encircling her-some had already planted themselves on her clothes.

"We're fine." Eun replied, helping us up-Eve's jaw dropped at the sound of Eun's voice. "Where did that laser come from?"

"I-it's that plant," she pointed to the large red flower, the machine around it was now active with various cannons pointed at our general direction. Chung could be seen charging toward the flower, while crushing the plants rooted in his path.

"It appears that machine serves as a defence mechanism for it." She added.

Eun flinched back as one of the cannons pointed itself directly at us, a dim yellow light began forming inside the weapon," we need to get moving." Eun said, readying our weapon.

Eun gestured Eve to follow as it began further down the path. There were more spores in the area now, which inflicted damage to Eun and Eve as we proceeded further. I could feel our body quickly weakening from attacking and being attacked, and the spear in our hands seemed to grow heavier by the second, as if each enemy we defeat has added its weight onto the weapon.

A sudden noise to our right made Eun halt, causing Eve to collide into us.

"What's going on?" Eve asked, with eyes searching for danger.

"There's something moving there." Eun pointed-it quickly glanced back to the cannon, the yellow light had grown much brighter, it's a matter of time before it launches at us.

Eun growled and pointed our spear toward the sound. Our grip on the weapon tightened as one of the broken Nasods rose up from its grave, tiny spores swarmed around the Nasod, as if acting like its barrier.

"The cannon," Eve snuggled herself closer to us, her eyes widening as the beam of light focused on us.

'Hurry and protect Eve!' I screamed at Eun, as I tried to reclaim my body. 'We can't let her die, especially not with an innocent Nasod.'

"Dread Chase." A clutter of blue missiles launched at the cannon, blowing it into bits before it had the chance to attack us.

Took you long enough, I thought. At least you made it in time.

"Hurry," Chung called; we could barely see him through the thick fog of green spores. "I'll take care of the plant, you two get out of here."

Our ear twitched at the squeaking noise sounding beside us, with a swift turn Eun clawed an enemy Nasod across the chest, flinching from the electric shocks upon contact. Eun plunged our spear through the Nasod's body before it could act any further.

"Are you...okay?" Eve held onto our shoulder as her legs began to weaken, the spores were quickly planting themselves on her-her drones clung onto her shoulders s they seemed to lost the ability to stay air born.

'Eun,' I urged, still trying to fight for control. 'We need to get Eve out.'

"Understood," Eun took Eve's hand off our shoulder. "Eve, in just a moment I'll be charging through the remaining flowers. I need you to keep up as best you can."

"R-right." She took shaky step back.

'Lets hurry, Eun'

Eun charged further down the infested path, ignoring the electric shocks the spores attacked us with; pushing our body to its very limit.

"Tempest Dance." Eun swiftly swung our spear through the last of the plants, finally freeing us from the toxic path we chose.

Eun finally gave me control once we were free from the path. I fell weakly to the ground as the fatigue and pain began settling in. I cried out in pain as I could feel my chest burning up-I must have breathed in some spores by accident.

"E-Eun," Eve limped out of the path, with her drones dragging themselves behind her. "Are you okay?"

"Out..." I let out a merciless cough, it nearly made me throw up whatever was left in my stomach. "W-we need to get out."

"Let me help-"

"You need to get out of here first," I cut her off-my muscles tightened as the spores began to swarm me, readying to take me down. "Go, hurry and go."

I tried to help myself up, but the spores kept me down and shrivelled up. I glanced up at Eve, she no longer held her usual poker face; her eyes were widened and her face had drained of colour, she looked terrified.

I forced on a smile," go, you need to get out of here." My eyes were forced shut as the spores began planting themselves on me, sending a wave of electric shocks through my body. I could hear my heart beat ringing in my ears as my muscles were drained of life. I can picture Yama, the god of death, standing over me, passing judgment on me with his swollen eyes.

I didn't realize I was falling until my head collided with the rocky ground. Everything began blurring together into one green image. I close my eyes, allowing nature to take its course.

_Ara, I will not allow you to die. _Eun's power began radiating through me, I could feel some of my strength returning. _Stay calm, I will find a way to save you. _

'You're hurt, Eun.' I told it. 'You've already fought a lot for us today, please don't push yourself.'

_Don't speak such foolish things, Child. It is my responsibility to protect you. _

'Eun-'

_Enough, allow me to help you out of here. _

Eun began to take over my body, giving me some more strength. However, even Eun could feel the impact of the spore's electric attacks, making it difficult to get ourselves up. _  
_

" I-I can't go like this." Eve's voice began to tremble. "A-as a Queen I-I cannot let my l-loyal subjects to die." I could imagine her lowering her head, refusing to reveal her emotions. "I-I also c-cannot let my f-friends die."

Just take my hairpin and go. I wanted to tell her. But I wasn't even able to utter a single sound to her.

"Oberon and Ophelia, come to our aid." Eve cried out-I could hear her falling to her knees.

"How may we serve you." The servants asked in synced.

"Get us...out." Eve ordered.

Before Eun could get us back on our feet, one of the Nasod servant picked us up and hurried out the infested room. The Nasod servants slowed their pace as it was hard to see where they were going.

I squinted my eyes open, I could clearly see the fogged green room behind us. Chung could still be heard fighting inside.

Something inside me wanted to jump out the Nasod's arms and run back into the green room. We may have escaped the room successfully, but we still have a team member stuck inside-still fighting the spores and plants.

I opened my mouth to call out to Chung, I wanted to let him know we were out and that he could stop fighting now; but I couldn't manage a single word.

A rush of cold air welcomed us as we safely made it out of the tunnel. I look up at the darkened sky, the sun had moved to the edge of the horizon, leaving behind a dim trail of light in the darkened sky. The Nasod gently laid me down on the grass before attending to its Queen.

I close my eyes as the faint sound of missiles launching could still be heard from inside the tunnel. My eyes burned at the thought of leaving Chung behind.

Who knows if he'll make it out alive? What will we do if he doesn't come back out? How will I be able to live the rest of my life knowing I left a friend behind to fend for themselves?

I cried out in pain as a jolt of electricity shot through my body, the spores that had escaped with me doesn't seem to be happy with my survival. I gasped for air as the attack ceased, goosebumps rose on my arms as the cold temperatures of the night began to sink in-the sweat coating my body only made it worse.

"Stay still," Eve's voice sounded, she gently turned me over to my side. "Ophelia is just going to take the spores off of you."

The spores shocked me further as Ophelia tried to scrap them off me, Eve's other servant had to hold me down as the pain ran endlessly through me.

_It's over. _Eun covered me in its warmth as the electric shocks finally ended. _Rest, you deserved it. _

"Tha-thank you." I gasped, and began sitting myself up.

"I am glad you are okay." Eve smiled, with the Nasod cradled peacefully in her arms.

"How's the Nasod?" I asked.

"It barely made it," she answered, her eyes softening down on the sleeping Nasod. "I'll do some repairs when we get back to the village." She averted her attention to the tunnel, a ghastly scream sounded from the inside. "I wonder if Chung is alright."

"I really hope he'll be okay." I clasped my hands together. "I-I don't want to go until we know..." I trailed off, a lump began forming at the back of my throat. "U-until we know w-what has become of him."

"I suppose you can hear the battle raging on?" Eve asked, keeping her eyes on the mountains.

"It's a horrible sound," I admitted, my vision began to blur.

Eve sat herself beside me, with her drones resting on her lap. We sat in silence as the battle inside raged on-a battle only audible to me. I wanted to cover my ears from the noise, it's horrible to hear your friend struggle but not being able to help.

It felt like someone had punched me in the stomach when the explosion sounded. I felt sick as the ground trembled beneath us, my mind raced at the possible outcomes Chung could've faced.

After the noise had subsided, silence fell throughout the land, a thick and deafening silence. Eve quietly counted each second passing by, while I strained my ears to hear for any signs of life.

I tilted my head up, gazing up at the glimmering diamonds above us. I could imagine my family up there, walking with the stars, and watching over me.

I wonder if Chung's up there now. I couldn't help but think.

The individual stars that laid across the sky began to blur together, like wet paint. I could feel something trickling down my cheeks, leaving behind an icy cold trail along my face. I close my eyes, trying to tell myself this is all just a dream, that my friend is still around waiting to do or say something to aggravate me.

_Foot steps. _Eun whispered.

I opened my eyes, jaw dropped at Eun's claim," foot...steps?" I thought out loud. Eve glanced beside me curiously.

My heart skipped a beat at the soft sound of crunching gravel-I could also hear someone panting. Without another thought I jump to my feet and hurry toward the tunnel, ignoring Eve and Eun's protests.

Tears blurred my eyes as I approached closer to the tunnel, I could barely make out who was walking out from the tunnel.

_It could be an enemy_ . Eun warned, preparing to take over for an attack.

Please let it be him, I prayed. Please let it be Chung.

"A-Ara?" Chung's voice sounded weakly. I could feel my legs caving in at the sound of his voice-it was impossible to keep the tears in now.

"Chung," I cried, my blurred eyes barely able to make out his face. "I-it's really you."

"What's going on?" He knelled down beside me; my heart broke at the many spores planted on his armour and face, I doubt his armour alone will be able to numb the electric shocks.

"Why are you crying?" He reached out for my shoulder, but quickly flinched his spore covered hand back. "I probably shouldn't touch you, these darn things might hurt-"

I wrapped my arms tightly around him before he could finish, this caught him off guard. I rested my head in his chest as the tears came down harder, I could barely get a single sentence out to him.

"Are you crazy?" He tried to pull me off, but I kept my grip around him strong. "Those spores are going to electrocute you as well."

Right on queue a trail of electricity ran through the both of us, I tightened my arms around him as the electricity went on-at least he's not going through the pain alone.

"I-I told you, i-idiot." Chung pushed me away once the electric shock had ceased.

"I was worried," I replied, lifting my face up to meet his eyes. "I-I thought you were...dead."

A fresh set of tears ran down my face at my confession-I never would've thought I'd have this reaction to someone like Chung.

I cold breeze brushed passed us, picking away several spores off of Chung.

Chung sighed," you're so stupid," He ruffled my hair. "Stop wasting your tears on me, you won't get anything back."

"I'm sorry," I whispered, with warmed cheeks. "I-I was just really worried. I-I thought I-I lost you."

He rested his forehead on mine, my cheeks reached new temperatures in response," thanks." He spoke softly. "Thank you for keeping me in your thoughts."

"No need to thank me," I close my eyes, allowing myself to enjoy this moment with him. "That's what friends are for. "


	45. 45

"Will you slow down already?" Chung called from behind. "I'm still sore from the fight."

"Fine, you big baby," I reply-rolling my eyes at his fifth complaint.

"What part of 'taking a break' do you not understand?" He asked, as he finally caught up to me.

I continued my way down the village's narrow street; this time at a much slower pace," all we've been doing is fighting and throwing our lives out there in the battle field, we haven't even gotten a chance to relax and explore the new village." I explain.

"We aren't here on a vacation." Chung grumbled to himself-I decide to ignore his remark.

"I'm so glad Elsword was kind enough to let our group rest for the day," I added, while gazing into the display window of a small bakery, my stomach turned at the strange green cakes on the other side.

"We returned at around midnight, I doubt he'd want to send his sleep deprived friends out to fight." Chung pointed out, his eyes wandered to the small shops lined on the other side. "I'm worried about Eve though."

"I doubt she got any sleep last night." I sighed, remembering the muffled sound of clanging throughout the night. "Elsword better give her another day off tomorrow."

"Don't worry, he won't be letting her out of this village any time soon."

There was a pause as two elderly villagers strolled passed us, each one scoffing at our presence.

I leaned closer to Chung," looks like the tension in this village still hasn't loosened." I whispered, hoping the passing Ponggos couldn't hear me.

"How can you expect it to?" I cringed as he spoke out loud. "We didn't exactly protect this village from that last attack."

I glanced back at us, the two elderly Ponggos could still be seen walking slowly down the street," not so loud." I hissed. "They might hear."

"It doesn't matter," Chung replied nonchalantly. "I'm only speaking the truth."

Please don't remind me, I thought.

A group of young Ponggos pushed past us, laughing and screaming as they ran further down the street-each one too lost in their fantasy world to acknowledge our presence.

"Can we go back now?" Chung groaned. "My legs are killing me right now."

"Just stay with me a bit longer," I link arms with him. "I promise we'll go back after we do some decent window shopping."

"I never thought I'd have to be forced to shopping again." Chung blurt out.

"It's not shopping, it's _window _shopping," I pushed him further down the street with me. "There's a difference."

I quickly scan the opened stores as Chung continued to complain, my eyes widened as we began to approach a small jewellery store. I eagerly pulled Chung along, not bothering to tell him where we're going.

"We'll go back after this store." I promise, while opening the metal door-bells sang softly as we made our way in.

"Welcome," a Ponggo greeted us from the other side of the counter, a stiff smile formed on her face; it's clear we're not welcomed here. "If you need anything feel free to ask me."

Before I could reply the Ponggo turned her head away from us as she quietly inspected the store's dirty white walls-her fingers tapped rhythmically against the dustless counter. I muttered a soft 'thank you' before inspecting the sparkling jewellery on display.

To my surprise the store had a variety of gems and accessories, many of the goods put on sale ranged in colour and size. Each accessory gleamed brightly within its display, each one competing fiercely with one another to impress a potential buyer.

If I had enough money I would've bought out half the store; it almost feels wrong to just walk away from such beautiful items.

"Oh, Chung, take a look at this one." I eagerly gestured to the pink pendant in one of the displays. "Isn't it just pretty?"

Chung rolled his eyes at my excitement," grow up, you can't even afford to buy it."

"Then just leave already." The store owner whispered under her breath-I ignore her.

I pout," but it's such a pretty pendant, I can't just leave it here."

I glance at the pink gem once more; its taunting pink gleam urged me to take it home.

"Too bad, you haven't got the money to buy anything from here." Chung snapped me back to reality. "C'mon, we should head back before we get yelled at for staying out too long."

"You're no fun." I cross my arms stubbornly as we made our way out-the Ponggo behind us sighed at our departure.

If I had the money I would waste it all on that pendant, I thought angrily. I wish I at least got the chance to look at it more.

"In my opinion, you look really ugly in pink." My jaw dropped at Chung's sudden remark.

"You jerk!" I smack him on the back of the head. "How could you say that?"

"You need to calm down," he snapped, inching away from me. "I didn't say you look ugly in general, I just think you're ugly in pink."

"Like that makes it any better." I could feel my eyes burning from his comment.

Could someone please tell me why I decided to bring him out with me?

"In my opinion-"

"Your opinion sucks." I cut him off, smirking at the annoyed expression now rested on his face.

He punched me on the shoulder, but quickly doubled back before I got the chance to react," as I was trying to say." He continued coolly. "In my opinion, you'd look better in blue."

"Your opinion still-" I paused, allowing his words to fully process in my head. "Wait, what did you just say?"

He turned his head away," I think you'd look better in blue." He repeated, much more softly this time.

I could feel my face lighting up from his response. I quickly force myself to look away from him as my heart raced a thousand miles. I took a deep breath in, trying to keep control of myself.

"I-I don't think I look t-that good in blue." I laugh, trying to keep myself sane. "I t-think it makes me look weird."

The same kids from before ran between us, one of the kids in the back apologized as they bumped into us. Chung and I watched as they disappeared down the street once more.

"It's just a personal preference." Chung finally said. "I understand if you don't like it."

Why is he suddenly being so nice? This sudden act of kindness is starting to make me look like the jerk.

"I just thought..." he trailed off.

I hesitantly glanced back at him, I nearly choked on my on spit as I instantly made eye contact with him.

He held eyes with me for a couple of seconds before looking away again," never mind." He muttered.

"I hate it when people do that." I blurt out.

"Sucks to be you then," he smirked, returning to his annoying self once more-I stuck my tongue out childishly in response.

I wish he could've finished what he was going to say.

"Come on, you big baby," I whimpered as he smacked me hard on the back. "We should really be heading back now." He quickened his pace.

"Hey, I have an idea." I grab onto his arm to keep him from getting further. "The street is pretty empty right now."

"And?" He tapped his foot impatiently.

"Want to race back to the house?"

Chung smiled slyly at my suggestion," last one there will have to owe the winner their dinner."

"It's about time you two came back," Aisha greeted as we made our way in, Elsword and Raven could be heard talking from the kitchen. "Elsword thought you two snuck out, he almost ran back out to look for you guys."

"Why are you guys back so soon?" Chung asked in between breaths.

Aisha raised her brow," I should be the one asking the questions. Why are you panting like a dog?"

"We had a race," I explained, with a wide grin. "I won-"

"She cheated," Chung interrupted.

I roll my eyes," we never made it a rule that Eun couldn't help me win." This earned me a hit on the shoulder.

"You should've known better," he glared at me. "Don't expect me to give you my dinner, cheaters don't deserve to get a prize."

Aisha smiled stiffly," I see you two are getting along." She forced out an empty giggle.

"So how did things go for you guys?" I avert my attention back to Aisha. "Anything new pop up in the surface."

Aisha shrugged, "the Nasods don't seem to be acting abnormal"-she began her way into the kitchen, Chung and I followed after her-"everything seemed to be normal, which I found to be very disturbing."

"Disturbing?" Chung asked.

Elsword greeted us briefly as we walked in, while Raven kept his eyes glued to the floor.

"The Nasod activity is unusually calm." Aisha went on, as she sat herself up on the kitchen counter. "We expected to run into some crazy army readying to attack us."

"Maybe there won't be a war," I suggested.

Aisha shook her head," I doubt the new Nasod leader will want to maintain peace with us, especially since we fought back. This village may be seen as a threat to them."

Aisha took a quick glance at Elsword before gesturing us to come closer," I also found something even more odd." She whispered-keeping her eyes on Elsword's one sided conversation with Raven.

"When we were up there something felt..." She licked her lips. "S-something felt very off."

"Can you elaborate?" Chung asked.

Aisha clasped her hands together," you can't tell Elsword." She said in a much softer tone. "I d-don't want this feeling to stress him even further."

Chung and I bobbed heads in response.

She leaned closer to us," as we explored further into the land, I began to feel a very powerful aura." She lowered her eyes. "Remember the power we felt from that dragon in Bethma?"

"Are you suggesting there's a similar creature on this island?" Chung questioned bluntly.

Aisha shrugged," I-I don't know." She glanced at Elsword again before continuing. "B-but this aura was even more powerful than the dragon's. I-I almost felt sick from its presence."

"Could it just be the presence of an El Shard?" I asked.

"I-I don't know." Aisha took a deep breath in. "A-all I know is I felt w-watched up there, I wanted to do whatever I can to get away."

"I've never seen you this scared s-" Chung abruptly cut himself off.

Aisha's eyes widened at his response, I watched as her face drained of colour; it's almost like someone had drained the life out of her.

"N-never seen you this scared before." Chung finished.

Aisha and Chung looked away from one another, leaving me out from their secretive knowledge.

"Oh, I see everyone is awake and well."

I turn around to see Eve walking in, her silver hair loose and messy from her endless hours of work, and her eyes lost of wakefulness.

"Eve, you look horrible." Elsword blurt out.

Aisha and I gasped at his response, Elsword's jaw dropped as he quickly realized his mistake.

"I-I'm so sorry." He glanced at Raven for help-Raven simply shook his head at the request.

"I apologize for my appearance," Eve replied softly. "I have been working for hours without rest, and I stopped caring about my appearance as a result."

"S-so you're not going to hit me?" Elsword asked.

Of course he'd worry about his safety first.

Eve's eyes brightened at his question," do you wish to be punished?" She began her way to him.

"That's okay." Elsword responded almost instantly. "I'm pretty happy to not be slapped again."

"What kept you up so late?" Raven inquired casually.

"I had been repairing one of my loyal Nasods," Eve responded with a small smile-she raised her hand up. "After many hours of endless work, I finally brought my loyal subject back to life."

A bright blue circle materialized behind Eve.

"Come forth, my loyal servant, Dimension Link - Century."

With a flash of light, the same Nasod we had run into before jumped from the glowing circle behind Eve. It stood proudly beside its Queen, readying to carry out all her orders.

"This Nasod has shown strong loyalty to me, despite all that it had been through." Eve explained, her voice booming with pride. "As a reward, I am allowing it to fight alongside with me."

"It is an honour to fight along with you, Your Majesty." The Nasod turned and bowed to Eve. "I will risk the new life you have given me to fight for your future."

Our team broke out in applause, Elsword cheered loudly at the new member of our team. Eve curled her lips together, probably to keep herself from smiling, Aisha openly teased her for this action.

"Please stop, this is ridiculous." Eve said, with an untameable smile. "You all should be acting more mature."

"Mature?" Elsword quoted, with a playful smile. "Since when are we mature?"

"The real question is; when are you ever mature?" Aisha piped in.

Nearly everyone laughed at the response, I could even see Raven chuckling.

"Everyone please," Eve's face fell back into her signature blank expression. "There is important information that I have learned from this Nasod, and I believe such knowledge should be known in our team."

We let out the last of our laughter before falling into silence. All eyes averted themselves onto Eve and her new Nasod servant.

Eve cleared her voice," correct me if I'm wrong." She said to the Nasod. "The Nasods have indeed been working to revive an old Nasod royal, and from what I was told, they have set up a Nasod factory to build more improved Nasods for the rising King."

"Is the factory functioning?" Elsword asked.

"It's going under tests," the Nasod answered. "So far all the Nasods created have been experiments."

"Something doesn't add up," Raven thought out loud.

"What do ya' mean?" Elsword replied, with a raised brow. "Nasods are going back to this less awesome version of Eve, and they're building new Nasods to fight for it; what's not to get?"

Eve couldn't help but laugh at Elsword's comment on the new ruler.

Raven shook his head," I understand that part." Annoyance sounded from his voice. "What doesn't make sense is why it took so long for the Nasods to resurrect their King. These Nasods have obviously been around for years, so why do they choose to act now? And most importantly," Raven glanced up at Eve. "Where were you in all of this?"

Someone tapped their fingers hastily against the counter.

Eve lowered her head," I do not recall." She admitted with a quiet voice. "I remember waking up in the debris of my Kingdom. The Nasods I had once cherished were buried somewhere in that wasteland."

The Nasod snuggled closer to Eve as she went on.

"I used the last of my energy to help the King recover, but resources were scarce and very little of our technology worked." She wiped her eyes. "I-I decided the revival of the Nasod king would be impossible, so I had decided to return to my capsule unit. The previous war had left Altera in very ill shape, and I would not be surprised if some harsh weather managed to chip away some of the island, dragging my capsule along with it."

Eun, what does she mean by a 'capsule unit'?

_I do not know, Child. _Eun replied-I felt a bit disappointed by its answer. _Perhaps it was some kind of Nasod technology. I would ask your friend about it some other time, right now we need to focus on finding the El Shard and stopping these Nasods. _

"You never bothered returning to Altera when you woke up on the land below," Raven crossed his arms. "You didn't think anyone else would still be on this island."

Isn't he just a ray of sunshine?

"I deeply regret my decision." Eve snapped, she narrowed her eyes on him. "I did not choose to slip off my homeland."

"You don't have to be so bothered-"

"I am not bothered by such a ridiculous comment." Eve cut him off-the small Nasod pushed against her leg as she took a step toward Raven.

"Can you two settle this another time?" Elsword glanced between Raven and Eve, frowning. "We need to get through this new information."

You know Elsword is serious when he doesn't join in to the argument.

Raven and Eve nodded stiffly, with burning eyes glued to one another.

"T-the Nasods acted up now because of a visitor." The Nasod continued.

Aisha gasped," a-a visitor?"

Shivers ran down my spine at Aisha's story of that strange aura.

The Nasod nodded," I've never seen the visitor myself, but many claim they have come across them. From what I've been told, this visitor told them of a jewel more powerful than the ancient Nasod army, and it can create flames stronger than the sun's flare. This jewel can revive their fallen King and bring power back to the Nasod race. "

"The El Shard." I growl; Eun jumped with excitement at my response.

"Was this visitor a lizard?" Chung questioned, with tightened fists.

"The visitor never revealed its face to us," the Nasod replied. "Although many claimed it to be a human, while some believed it was the Queen trying to redeem herself."

"This visitor could very much be Kayak." Eve rubbed the bottom of her chin. "However, if Kayak was not the one to first reveal this information to the Nasods, then we may be dealing with a new threat."

"T-this threat seems to be very informed about the El Shards." Aisha added.

"It's very possible it was Kayak. He did mention visiting the island." Eve pointed.

"I-I suppose so." Aisha muttered; obviously doubting Kayak's visit to the island.

The strange aura Aisha felt could've been something else. I thought. I think Kayak was the mysterious visitor. He was obsessed with the El Shard with Bethma, so it wouldn't surprise me if he shared this proud knowledge with others.

Elsword cleared his voice loudly, drawing our attention back to him," we can worry about our mystery visitor later." He said, quickly changing the subject. "First we need to deal with the things happening now."

He held up one finger," first, we should do something about this factory. It's a matter of time before these experiments are complete." He glanced down at the Nasod. "Do you know where it is?"

"I believe so."

Elsword nodded," we're counting on you." He held up another finger. "Second, we need to pinpoint this King's position. This may be a bit more of a challenge, but I believe Eve will be able to hypothesize on potential locations." He shot a smile at Eve.

Eve's cheeks flushed in a light shade of pink," y-yes." She stammered-her eyes wandered around the kitchen as she attempted to avoid looking at Elsword.

"And finally, we'll need to prepare for battle." He lifted a third finger up. "I don't know if we'll get into a full out war, but we need to be prepared for battle and defence."

I crack my knuckles loudly," sounds easy enough." I said with a toothy smile.

Chung scoffed at my response.

"So when will we track down this factory?" Aisha asked.

"Tomorrow," Elsword replied without a second thought; Raven shook his head at his quick reply. "We're leaving first thing in the morning. Until then I want you guys to rest early tonight." Elsword's eyes landed on me.

"Ara, can you and Chung pack up some supplies for tomorrow?"

Of course he'd pair me up with him. I thought. Although I shouldn't complain, he isn't that toxic to be around anymore.

"Alright." I smile.

"Whatever." Chung grunted; I elbowed him in response.


	46. 46

**If you celebrate Christmas, I hope you had a fantastic time on Friday! I know I had a blast eating all the yummy food at dinner and now I feel like a happy fat penguin (I don't think my fitness level is too happy with my life choices tho) X'D**

**If you celebrate something else around this time of year, I hope you're enjoying whatever it may be, best wishes to you all! :D**

**It's almost New Years, which means we can all cry about the things we didn't accomplish this year, and the fact that we're getting older (ewww).**

**Some things you should be expecting from me in the New Year, the next story is almost ready to go into writing phase. I should be able to write in January or February, depending on how busy things get and how much I can plan in the next couple of days. I'll also be brainstorming on the final story once I'm done planning this one.**

**I MIGHT do a rewrite of Within a Thousand Heart Beats, there's a bunch of things I want to fix and change in that story. (I should also start editing the darn thing)**

**On a final note, this story will be split into two parts, meaning that I will "create a new story" for the second part. The second part of this story will be much shorter. I will tell you guys the name of that "next story" (I hope all of that made sense).**

**If you didn't have a good or happy holiday, I'm sorry things turned out the way they were. I may not know or understand the things you're going through at this moment, but my heart still goes out to you and I really hope things will get better soon. Stay strong my lovely reader ^.^**

* * *

I gingerly thread my way around the guys sleeping on the floor. It was extra difficult to get around Elsword as he had his arms spread across the floor, if he had decided to move my cover would've been blown.

Just a few more steps. I told myself, as I stepped over someone's leg. I'm almost free.

With a sharp breath in I hurry I final steps out the door, my legged brushed against something but I don't think it was enough to wake the person up. I hastily closed the door behind me before breathing a sigh of relief.

"I can finally get some air." I whispered, wiping the drop of sweat rolling down the side of my cheek.

The hallway was dark, with only the kitchen light to light my path. I quickly ran my fingers through my tangled hair before walking toward the kitchen, I don't want to look like a mess to whoever is up with me.

When I walked into the kitchen I expected to see Amos at the kitchen table again, with his books spread throughout the small space as he studied into a new potion. Instead it was Agatha rummaging through her fridge for a late night snack.

"It's pretty early to be up." Agatha said, as she dug through her fridge. "I had a dream I was eating this gigantic cake, and when I woke up I found myself starving." She laughed. "I'm assuming you went through a similar thing?"

"N-not really," I confessed, taking a seat at the dining table. "I just couldn't sleep well."

"Tell me about it," she closed the fridge door. "I'm always making sure Amos is asleep. I jolt awake every couple of hours thinking Amos is gone." She paused. "That's one of my greatest fears."

I can't imagine taking care of another family member all by myself-especially a child.

"When my parents were alive," Agatha began, as she poured herself a cup of water. "They would always yell at my brother for staying up too late. My ma' said he would not grow a single inch if he stayed up so late."

Amos is pretty short. Then again, all the Ponggos here are fairly small to us.

"Sounds like Amos really likes alchemy." I noted. "He has strong willpower for a kid his age."

Sort of like me back then.

"Ma' blamed Pa' for his addiction to alchemy." She took a seat across from me. "My Pa' was the best alchemist we had in this village-the only alchemist, and he wanted to pass his fountain of knowledge down to us." She chuckled. "Although I was never that interested in potions and reading."

He sounds like Vapor.

"Pa' pretty much gave up on me when I expressed my boredom for alchemy, but he fell in love with Amos when he first expressed his interest in this subject." She took a sip of water. "Pa' was Amos' hero, he loved everything he did. I; on the other hand, admired Ma' for her ability to tolerate those two."

"Your parents sure sound amazing." I said, thinking back to my own Mother and Father.

"They were an interesting duo." Agatha rested her arms on the table. "Ma' was obsessed with keeping the house clean, if she saw even one dish in the sink she would make sure all of us got an earful."

I laughed," at least your house will always be ready for guests."

Agatha rolled her eyes," the only guest we get is the mailman." She smiled." Pa' was the complete opposite of her. He didn't care if the dishes weren't done, _we can just clean 'em when we need 'em, _is what he would always say. That drove Ma' crazy-especially when he threw his dirty clothes on the bedroom floor."

Agatha wiped her eyes," w-when Ma' wasn't busy yelling at us to clean the house, she would always talk the different foods she would like to try. She wasn't the best cook in the world, so she couldn't make much of the food she wanted to try. P-Pa' knew she had a weak spot for food, a-and he would go out of his way to i-improve his cooking skills so he could make her that dream meal."

"Do you need a tissue?" I asked-Agatha shook her head.

"I remember Ma' would always yell at me f-for getting m-my dresses dirty. She said I w-would be old and lonely if I didn't start acting a bit more lady-like. Pa' didn't care if I liked playing in the d-dirt, in his eyes I w-was his little dirt covered princess. M-Ma' eventually accepted s-she could never keep me from digging a-around in the dirt, so she decided to make me a mini mining outfit and t-told me to find some good treasure for her."

"It's a shame they aren't here anymore." Agatha sighed, wiping her reddened eyes one last time. "Ever since they passed away, I've felt the pressure of fulfilling the role of Amos' mother and father. A child like him needs both his parents, i-it just isn't fair."

She took a large sip of her water.

I licked my lips," i-is it true Raven was your parents' murderer?"

" I could never forget his face." She whispered, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "I apologize if I came off rude on the first day we met, but I really couldn't believe my brother let our parents' murderer into the house."

"It's understandable." I reassured her. "I would be pretty angry as well."

It's still hard to believe our Raven could do something like that-I'm still having a tough time accepting this...idea.

"So what made you wake up this late?" Agatha asked. "I saw up at a similar time the other day."

Should I tell her? This is information I haven't even revealed to Elsword and the others yet. It would be unfair if I told Agatha first.

"I understand if it's personal." She added, while finishing the last of her drink. "I'm just a nosy ol' Ponggo."

"Y-you're not nosy." I lower my eyes and began to play with my fingers, I could feel Agatha's gaze on me. "I-it's just something I haven't even shared with my friends yet."

"I see." Agatha placed her cup onto the table. "When do ya' plan on telling them?"

"To be completely honest." I sheepishly looked up. "I don't know."

Agatha folded her arms," your team seems pretty close, if it were up to me, I would tell 'em whatever's on my mind-although I would refrain from telling that murderer your secrets. I understand if it's a tough subject to talk about though."

"Y-yeah."

I can't just mention my village's slaughter out of the blue. It would make things awkward for everyone.

Agatha yawned," I'm not feeling all that hungry anymore, so I think I'll be heading to bed."

"I can wash your cup for you." I offered. "I won't be sleeping anytime soon."

"Suit yourself." Agatha said, as she slipped out of her seat. "Have fun doing nothing."

"I'll try my best," I laughed.

She began her way out, but abruptly stopped in her tracks," y'know, I kind of wish I had magic or some kind of power to fight with you guys." She spoke softly. "I want to fight for my brother and my village. I-I would do anything to keep them safe."

She looked at me, her eyes stirring with an unknown emotion," I wonder what you fight for." She said, before making her way out.

* * *

"Does that bag have all the supplies?" Chung asked, as he zipped up the last back pack.

"Yup, these guys should be able to last us the entire day." I said, placing the remaining bag on the crowded table. "I hope we don't get back at midnight again."

"I have a feeling that'll happen again," Chung answered, pulling a chair out. "I doubt the Nasod factory will be some small building that we can explore within an hour."

"What a pain," I yawned, still feeling the fatigue from our previous mission. "I miss being able to come back before the sun set."

Maybe I should've headed back to bed after Agatha left. I feel even more tired today than I was yesterday.

"Hey, are you sleeping alright?" He asked suddenly. "You still seem pretty tired."

Elsword and Aisha could be heard arguing over their ideal breakfast in the living room.

"I-I just had trouble falling asleep." I lied, forcing on a smile in hopes of strengthening my act. "All I could think about was entering the factory and fighting more dangerous Nasods."

Chung crossed his arms," really?" He challenged.

"Yeah," I pulled my eyes away from him. "That's all there is to it."

I could feel my legs weakening at this abrupt confrontation; my hands began to drain of warmth. I clumsily took a seat across him Chung, my stomach twisted into nauseating knots as I could still feel his gaze on me.

I know I'd need to tell them about my past at some point, but I never thought it'd be this terrifying. Maybe it'd be best for me if I kept it quiet. That way I can save myself from feeling sick and my friends wouldn't have to pity me.

They might even act differently if I told them. The last thing I want is for people to treat me differently.

"Aisha usually wakes up early to read," he went on casually. "Every time she got up she told us you were missing ." Once again I could feel that gut grinding gaze on me. "Just how early do you get up?"

I perked my head up at the approaching footsteps. Like a rabbit jumping to its escape, I turned my attention away from Chung and to the approaching steps.

"Ara," Amos greeted, with a carefree smile-he held a large book in his hands, the words on its cover were faded. "Last night I secretly did some research, and I think I might have found the perfect ingredients for an acidic potion."

He sat down on the floor and opened up the book, I wrinkled my nose at old book smell," some ingredients in here are super dangerous." He pointed to a faded drawing. "If I mix the right things together I can create a super potion, or maybe just something super poisonous..."

_Ara, I do not believe Chung is very happy with your actions. _Eun informed me.

'I know, Eun. I just don't want to talk to him about it yet.'

_I understand your wishes, Child. _Eun replied. _However, I would like to ask you something. If you do not wish to speak of the past now, when do you plan on doing so?_

'I don't know.'

"I apologize for interrupting," Eve popped into the kitchen. "But we are planning to leave soon; are the supplies all prepared?"

Chung took a quick glance at me before answering," yeah, everything's ready."

Eve bobbed her head approvingly at his reply," are you two prepared to leave?"

"I guess." He helped himself out of the chair-I lowered my head as he glanced back at me.

"Let's go." I jumped out of my seat.

"You guys are going already?" Amos whined-pouting at our sudden departure. "When will you be coming back?"

I smiled and ruffled his fur," I don't know, but I promise I'll listen to your super potion when I get back."

"Can I invite my big grumpy sister to listen as well?" He asked.

"Of course you can."

"It's a deal then," he grinned widely at my response. "Oh and promise me you'll kick some Nasod butt up there!"

"I'll do my best." I laughed.

* * *

"We should be getting close." The Nasod scout announced for the third time. "I can remember some of the landmarks here."

Elsword sighed," what landmarks?" He gestured to the open field. "All I see is grass and some dirt."

"Quit complaining," Aisha smacked him on the back of the head. "You're only making it worse by whining."

"I wish we brought Yang along, then my poor feet wouldn't be hurting from all this walking." He went on, like an impatient child. "Aisha, can you carry me?"

"Grow up and walk by yourself." She snapped.

"But my feet hurt and it's cold out."

"And my brain hurts from your complaining."

I decided to tune out from their argument.

We've been walking for at least an hour, and no Nasods have confronted us yet. At first I found this to be very relaxing, but now it's starting to become unsettling. We've walked right into the lion's den and yet no lion has come to attack us, that fact alone has put me on edge.

Then there's also the strange aura, I thought. I haven't been able to feel anything strange yet. I wonder if Aisha was only getting the wrong impression or maybe the Nasods have already took care of the threat. I really hope it's the second option, things are already difficult enough for us.

_I wouldn't be so sure of such conclusion, Child. _Eun piped in. _We should be more guarded now that such a possible threat has disappeared, until we learn of it's condition we cannot continue with an eased mind. _

I sneezed as a cold wind ran by.

Can you at least try to be positive? I responded-wrapping my arms around myself.

_As much as I would like to share good news and think brightly, I cannot risk our safety. I apologize if I have brought your mood down, Ara. _

It's fine, I understand. I let out another sneeze. I guess it's better to face the truth than to hold onto false hope.

_I am proud you can come to such a conclusion. _Eun wrapped me in a warm aura. _You are learning fast, Child. _

"Are you going to be okay?" Chung suddenly asked-he slowed his pace down to walk along side with me. "We can run back and grab a sweater."

I rolled my eyes," I am not going to run all the way back, that'll take forever."

"You actually have a point." He laughed.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I shoved him to the side; laughing. "Am I supposed to feel offended?"

"You're supposed to feel proud. You finally got acknowledged for being somewhat smart." He grinned.

"You jerk," I tried to shove him one more time, but he doubled back before I had the chance to do so.

At least he isn't bothering me about the whole sleep thing again.

"Calm down, I'm just joking around." He placed a hand on my shoulder. "Do you understand what joking-"

I grind my teeth in frustration," yes, Chung, I understand what 'joking around' is." I forced on a smile. "You don't have to explain it to me."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. You are ignorant to a lot of things." He pulled his hand away as I raised mine to hit him.

"Chung, I swear-"

"Excuse me for interrupting," Eve piped in abruptly. "But I must point out that you two seem to be acting a lot like Elsword and Aisha."

Elsword and Aisha? That could be a compliment for our strengthened friendship, but then again, Aisha and Elsword don't seem to just fall into the category of 'friends'.

"E-Eve, we are not like them." I nearly screamed out. "You're not thinking straight."

"Ara's right." Chung crossed his arms. "We're nothing like them."

"Yeah and-"

"I'm way more good looking than Elsword." Chung added with a grin. "And she's way more stupid than Aisha."

My face flushed at his comment," you arrogant jerk."

Chung shrugged," I'm sorry if the truth hurts."

"I apologize for upsetting you two," Eve struggled to hold down a smile. "I was simply making an observation." She glanced back at Raven," what do you think, Raven?"

Raven didn't respond, he didn't even bother turning his head to look at us. Eve took a sharp breath in before addressing him one more time, her voice now sounding with anger, "Raven, do not ignore the words of royalty."

Raven's eyes met Eve's, he narrowed them on her," I don't listen to a failed queen's orders." He spoke coldly. Almost instantly his jaw dropped at he words that left his mouth. He lowered his head and mumbled an apology.

Eve didn't respond. She turned away from him and continued walking, not bothering to say another word to any of us. Elsword and Aisha could still be heard arguing in the back, but not even their endless bickering could help lighten the air around us.

"Raven," Chung said quietly; his hands formed into tight fists. "Why did you say that?"

"Don't worry 'bout it." He simply responded, with his head kept down.

"Raven-"

"Let's just leave him alone," I suggested softly. "H-he won't say anything even if you beat him up."

Chung's jaw tightened in response," whatever."

We continued forth without another word, Elsword and Aisha's bickering was the only thing to fill in the silence.

I wish Raven would stop being so rude, I thought. Everyone would still be happy if he hadn't been so mean to Eve. He's been so moody since we came here. Who does he think he is?

_Do you resent him, Ara?_

'I would be lying if I said no.'

_I understand your rage, but remember, you mustn't allow such feelings to get in he way of your battles. Although he is a person you despise, you must support him in battle as he is still an ally. _

'He's a pretty bad ally in my opinion.'

_I cannot disagree with you as that would also make me untruthful. _

"I can see it." The scout spoke loudly. "We're finally here."

Looking ahead I could see a small outline of a building. From this distance it's impossible to see if there are enemy Nasods, but I would imagine the factory is heavily guarded.

"Finally!" Elsword cheered from behind. "All of this walking has finally paid off."

"Walking is only the easy part." Aisha muttered.

Elsword ran to the front lines, allowing everyone to see him," an important building like that would obviously have a large and confusing interior." He began, still ignorant to the tension stirring in front of him. "My big brain has decided it is best to go as two teams, that way we can cover more ground at once."

"I didn't know you even had a brain." Aisha commented under her breath.

"What will the teams be?" I spoke up.

"Since I'm sick and tired of hearing Aisha talk," he winked, Aisha cursed loudly in response. "I'll be teamed with Ara and Raven."

"That leaves Eve and Aisha with me." Chung finished.

I couldn't help but frown at the arrangements. It's not because I don't want to be in a team with Raven-who am I kidding; that is one of the reasons why I don't like my team. I guess the thought of being in a different team than Chung is a bit odd.

I've been put into his team so much it feels wrong to not fight alongside with him.

"Any objections?" Elsword took a quick glance back.

I wanted to object but I don't think my reasoning would be accepted.

Elsword grinned, "I'll take your silence as a no."


	47. 47

As we approached closer to the factory, more and more Nasods began to attack us, this quickly became an issue as these Nasods were more equipped to take on enemies; they were also in better shape than the Nasods we have encountered in the past. It felt like forever before we could even reach the building's entrance.

"Is everyone okay?" Elsword asked, as we finished off the last group of Nasods.

"We're fine." Aisha answered in between breaths.

I glanced at the factory. Now that we have advanced to its front doors, we are finally able to catch a good glimpse of its structure. To my surprise, the factory isn't all that big-you could easily mistaken it as small mall, a mall with no windows.

The Nasods seemed to have taken very good care of it as its white walls are barely stained, making it look like a newly opened building. I would imagine its interior is a bit more complex as it needs to create a lot of new Nasods.

"This is a pretty sad factory." Chung commented, with a raised brow. "I thought the Nasods could do better than this."

"Don't land judgment so quickly." Eve snapped. "We have not even seen the inside yet."

Chung shrugged," I guess you're right."

Raven pushed against its metal door," at least they're smart enough to lock the thing." He took several steps back. "I'll try to break it down."

We inched away from him as he readied his Nasod arm, with a sharp breath in he attacked," Mega Drill Break!" He launched himself at the door, slashing it with his sword. He ended the attack by launching his Nasod arm into it, his arm ripped through the metal barrier upon contact.

"Wow, that was pretty awesome." Elsword awed-Aisha shook her head at his childish response.

Raven nodded as he unlocked the door from the inside," be careful." He said as he opened the door for us.

We began to file into the building. The inside was as boring at the outer appearance. The empty interior had only two stairways to welcome us, one heading up and one heading down. The sound of metal clanging screamed from the lower levels.

I held onto my spear tightly as we proceeded further into the empty space.

It's strange how no Nasods have come rushing out to greet us yet.

I wonder if this is a trap.

"Seems pretty cozy." Elsword said, as he examined the blank walls. "I would like to speak with the dude who was supposed to decorate this place. They don't seem to be very good at their job."

"What's our plan now?" Raven asked, ignoring his remark. "We don't need to split into teams in order to explore this building.

Elsword frowned," you're no fun."

Raven's jaw tightened at Elsword's response, "this is no time to have fun." He answered.

Elsword locked eyes with him for a second before speaking again," it sounds like the basement has more going on than the rest of the building." He began. "I want Chung's team to explore the upstairs while my team will investigate the downstairs. If you can't find anything, then just go where the other team is. Each team's goal is to find a way to shut down the factory _without_ blowing the entire place up-I don't know about you guys, but I don't wanna become barbecue at the end of the day."

"Elsword, you jerk." Aisha stomped her foot. "You purposely left us with the boring path."

"Don't be so angry about it," he winked. "Besides, you don't know for certain if you got the boring path."

The first thing I noticed when we stepped foot into the basement was the various rows of conveyor belts, the space was vast enough to fit all the belts along with some extra containers and discarded Nasod parts. At the far end of the vast room I could see a set of metal doors-this place is a giant compared to the building above it.

The only workers present seemed to be the many hovering Nasods, each one managing the materials placed on each conveyor belt.

"This is odd." I thought out loud. "Why aren't they attacking us?"

"Maybe they're just lazy." Elsword said, with a shrug. "Or maybe they're too intimidated by my awesome looks to attack." He added with a grin.

I can see why Aisha hits him so much.

"We should proceed with caution." Raven began proceeding in.

"A-are you sure we should go in?" I hesitantly followed after him. "This seems too easy. What if it's a trap?"

"You're being way too careful," Elsword said, resting his arm on my shoulder. "At a time like this we just need to dive head first into the lion's den."

Isn't that the same as diving head first into a battle without a plan?

"That sounded much better in my head." Elsword added.

"In other words," Raven piped in. "we sometimes need to go right into danger. It's smart to figure out if we're walking into a trap, but at the moment we have no evidence of it being a trap. Although it is a suspicion we must take into consideration, we need to proceed further as pondering over something without evidence will only waste time."

"I-I guess that makes sense." I replied.

To be honest, I still don't really get it.

"Don't worry too much about it." Elsword winked. "You'll understand soon enough."

"Stop." Raven held his arm out to keep us from walking further.

Elsword and I halted as an enemy Nasod hovered toward us. Elsword slowly reached back for his swords while I prepared myself to defend.

"Raven, slowly move back." Elsword whispered.

Raven gingerly took a step back, this small movement instantly caught the Nasod's attention. We held our breaths as it approached closer to Raven, its single blue eye focused on his face.

Elsword cursed under his breath and drew out his swords," Raven, move away when I tell you to-"

I gasped as the Nasod unleashed a set of blades from its sides-Raven quickly doubled back as one of the blades nearly cut his face.

He lifted his Nasod arm up and aimed it at the Nasod," Maximum-"

Before he could launch his attack, the Nasod retracted its blades and backed away from Raven. It lowered itself, almost like it was bowing, before heading toward one of the conveyor belts.

Raven closed his Nasod hand into a fist," w-what just happened?" He pondered out loud.

"Raven, you totally scared that pipsqueak away." Elsword said, clapping his hands together. "That was so awesome, you have to teach me how to be as cool as you."

"W-whatever." Raven muttered, he lowered his arm. "Let's just go through that door and find a way to shut this place down."

"Awe you're no fun." Elsword frowned. "Lighten up a bit you big grumpy lump."

"Call me what you like," he said lowly. "I could care less."

"Raven is a big grumpy lump," Elsword began to chant; the Nasods don't seem too bothered by his loud outburst.

Raven's shoulders began tensing.

He seems troubled by something. I thought. Should I say something to cheer him up? What can I even say to help him feel better? It's not like I'm close friends with him to begin with.

Saying something has to be better than saying nothing.

"R-Raven, what's-"

"Just shut up and go!" He cut me off.

I held my breath at his sudden outburst; even Elsword quieted down. The Nasods went quiet for a bit before continuing their work.

Without another word, Raven continued forward. Elsword and I exchanged glances before following after him. We didn't say a single thing to each other as we proceeded to the next room.

I stayed close to Elsword as we ventured further into the new space. Much like the last one, it was managed by the same hovering Nasods. The Nasods here seem to be doing some final checks on the incoming parts before allowing them to cross into a large machine.

Several Nasods approached us along the way, but quickly retreated back as Raven was about to attack them.

I wonder why they're so afraid of Raven. I know Raven doesn't look like the kindest person in the world, but that alone shouldn't be enough to scare away the Nasods.

"We should find a map," Raven spoke up, without looking back at us. "This place should have a control station of some kind."

"Do you think we need to?" Elsword asked, glancing at the various machines at work. "This place seems pretty linear, I doubt we need a map to guide us."

"I suppose you're right." He pointed ahead. "I can see another door. Let's hurry through."

We kept quiet as Raven led us to the following room, the Nasod workers doesn't seem to care too much. I glanced at the conveyor belts beside us, the basic body shape of each new Nasod rode on the belts. It should be a matter of time before they are complete and ready to fight.

_Ara, I fear greatly for your safety. _Eun growled.

'Is it because this factory is too easy to get through?'

_Yes, why is it that these Nasods are allowing you and your friends through? Why are your enemies bowing to your friend Raven? Child, are you able to see the connections I can see?_

I could feel my breakfast crawling up my throat, 'Eun, are you saying Raven could be our enemy?'

I guess that would explain why he's been so distressed ever since we came here, and that would clearly explain why the Nasods have been avoiding us all this time.

'But I believe Raven is our friend. He might not be as nice and open as the others, but I trust him as an ally.'

_I do not trust one who has been bowed to by our enemies. Ara, you may not be able to draw your spear at him, but I can easily take him down. If your life is ever put in danger by him, I will not hesitate to take over and cut him into pieces. _

Raven can't be an enemy. He's been with the team way longer than I have, and I've seen him fight along side with us. He is always ready to protect us and do what's best for us. Someone like him could never hurt us, right?

_Child, you trust others too easily._

We came to a sudden halt as we approached a set of two different doors, one on the left and one directly in front of us. Raven cursed under his breath while Elsword groaned in annoyance.

"Do we need to go back and look for a map?" He said with a dramatic sigh. "That's so much work."

Raven tightened his fists together but didn't reply to Elsword's comment.

I wonder what's going through his head right now.

"Raven, the Nasods don't seem to want to attack you, so why don't you ask one for directions?" Elsword suggested.

"I'm not asking those cursed things." He snapped. "I-I'm not one of _them._"

His hands began to tremble, but I decided to keep quiet as it would probably upset him further.

Elsword sighed," so what do you want to do then? Do you really want to fight back?"

"I don't know." Raven answered. "Why would you think I have the answers? Quit asking me and figure something out yourself."

_He seems to be very defensive. _

I took a step back as I could feel Eun fighting for control. The last thing we need right now is Eun breaking out to fight him. That would only cause more of a mess.

"Why are you so angry?" Elsword asked, tightening his hands into a fist. "You've been so moody since we got here; what the heck is your problem?"

"My problem is you and your nosy questions." Raven answered, with a raised voice. The working Nasods don't seem to care much about the commotion. "Quit asking me what's wrong. It's getting annoying."

"Dude, calm down." Elsword spoke stiffly. "This isn't the place to fight."

Before Raven could reply, the metal doors ahead of us opened. A Nasod with a red shield emerged from the other side, two white Nasods with dual knives followed behind it. Elsword and Raven reached for their weapons as the Nasods approached closer, the two white Nasods raised their weapons at us.

"You better figure out something soon." Raven readied himself to attack.

"Easy for you to say." Elsword snapped, as he took a careful step toward the Nasods.

"H-how rude of you two." The shielded Nasod spoke up. "D-don't raise your weapons against o-our commander."

Commander? Who are they referring to as their commander?

_Who else would it be, Ara?_

"Commander?" Raven slowly lowered his sword.

"S-sorry, sir. I-I forgot to inform the maintenance t-team to fix the f-facial recognition feature." The shielded Nasod bowed its head. "P-please don't fire me, sir. I-I promise I'll do better next time."

Elsword dropped his weapons. His dual swords rung loudly against the metal coated floor.

"B-but, sir, w-we were able to fix the v-voice recognition. W-we're finally able to recognize y-your voice now." The Nasod added.

I felt like someone had just punched me in the stomach. I fell to my knees as the truth began to sink in. I could feel Eun starting to take over.

"I-I see." He answered quietly.

"W-we have t-the execution chamber r-ready for the o-other prisoners." The Nasod gestured to me and Elsword. "D-do you want us to p-prepare these humans for e-execution?"

"Execution..." Eun growled, it bore its blood thirsty eyes on Raven.

"W-where are the other prisoners?" Raven asked.

"T-they're in y-your office." The Nasod gestured to the left door. "H-have you forgotten? D-do you need us to upgrade y-your memory-"

"I'm fine." He cut it off. "I'll take these two alone."

"A-are you sure?" The Nasod pointed a shaky finger at Eun. "T-that one seemed to have-"

"I said I'll go alone." He snapped. The Nasod jumped at his outburst.

"S-sorry." It bowed to Raven. "I-I'll be a-at the maintenance station i-if you need me."

We watched as the Nasods retreated back to the next room. No one spoke a word until the Nasods were out of sight. Eun helped us up and pointed our weapon at Raven, it began to approach Raven with bared teeth.

"Raven..." Elsword spoke up quietly, as he shakily picked up his swords.

"Let's go through the door first." Raven pointed to the office door. "If you attack me here those floating Nasods will fight back. I doubt you two would want that to take place."

Eun glanced back at the hovering Nasods, each one had their interest on us now. Some had already drawn out its blade.

"Very well." Eun held back our spear. "Lead the way, traitor."

Raven took a sharp breath in before leading us out. The left door opened up to a single hallway, there no machines, Nasods, or even spare parts around. We followed Raven down the empty hallway, with only the soft clanging of metal to fill in the silence.

Eun pointed our spear at Raven's back,"I'm going to kill-"

Elsword blocked Eun's path with his sword," don't hurt him." He told us. "You don't sound like Ara, so I'm assuming you're Eun."

"He is a danger to your lives." Eun pointed, Elsword dropped his gaze in response. "A threat like him must be eliminated."

"I-I know that." Elsword lowered his sword. "Please don't do anything yet. Just let me deal with him first. Let Ara come back, i-if anything goes wrong you can return and fight."

Eun frowned," I hope you know what you are doing, child."

Eun drew back and allowed me to take control once more. I rested my weight on my spear, my legs still feeling like jelly from the previous encounter.

"Raven," Elsword began to approach him. "You've been with us through everything."

Raven tightened his grip on his sword.

"I trust you as a team mate and as a friend. If I hadn't believed in you so much," I nearly choked on my spit as Elsword abruptly brought his sword up to Raven's throat. "I would've slaughtered you on the spot back there." He whispered. "Killing you would've been as easy as cutting up steak."

Raven dropped his sword as Elsword inched his blade closer to his neck.

My hands grew cold at Elsword's abrupt behaviour-who knew someone as carefree and kind as Elsword would be capable of talking like this?

If I hadn't made a contract with Eun so early and if my friends wasn't sure if Eun was really our ally; would Elsword have killed me as well? I swallowed down the breakfast that had threatened to make a second appearance.

I know Elsword and Aisha believed Eun was good from the very beginning, but I bet there was still some doubt in their minds. Was Elsword still prepared to kill me; even after believing Eun was good?

"I don't know if you're our enemy-I-I don't want to believe you're a traitor." Elsword went on. "But I can promise you one thing. If I see that you're a threat to my friends in any way, I won't hesitate to separate your head from your body."

Raven gasped as Elsword rested his sword against his throat," understood?" He added.

"U-understood." Raven said, pulling his head back from the blade.

"Good," Elsword released him. "Let's go save the others."

Raven clumsily retrieved his sword from the ground before continuing further down the hall-his legs trembled with each careful step.

Elsword drew his sword back and followed after him," c'mon, Ara, we shouldn't waste our time here."

"Y-yeah." I replied, forcing my weakened legs to move forward. I leaned against the wall to help keep my balance-I don't think I'm able to fight if this keeps up.

_Ara, are you okay? _ Eun slowly took over; I didn't bother fighting it back.

'Eun, is it alright if you walk for me? I don't feel like I'm up to it.'

_As you wish, Child. _


	48. 48

**Shout out to everyone who is studying and preparing for finals! I swear I lost brain cells from studying so much XP**

The metal floor beneath us clanged with each heavy step we took, it was the only noise to break the suffocating silence. Elsword and Raven haven't spoken a single word to each other. Eun and I decided it would be best if we kept quiet as well. A single word could break the mute alliance between us and_ him_.

The hallway seemed to extend itself, trapping us longer in its thick metal walls, as we proceeded further into its narrow path.

I had the urge to break through the walls just to get away from the tension binding us together-I desperately wanted to have some space to breathe.

The fact that our friends are being held hostage and it's all because of Raven sounds so surreal, like a dream. It feels like I could wake up at any moment now and finally be granted freedom from this terrible nightmare.

_I understand your disbelief, Ara. _Eun piped in. _However, now is not the time to be wanting escape . You must pull yourself together and face the truth-regardless of how painful it may be. _

That's easier said than done.

_Do you think you are able to walk now?_

'Yeah, I think I'll be fine. Thanks, Eun.'

I stumbled at Eun's abrupt withdrawal. Elsword glanced back at us, but didn't say a single word before turning his head away. I bowed my head and slowed my pace down; no one noticed I was staggering behind.

I hope we can rescue the others quickly, I thought. After what happened, I could really use a warm bath and some alone time.

"I-I can see the next room." Raven announced weakly.

"We should hurry then," Elsword said, hurrying ahead of him. "We wouldn't want to keep our _friends _waiting."

I held my breath at his emphasize on 'friend'.

Raven lowered his head," y-yeah." He mumbled.

Without another word, we hurried down to the next room. The first thing I noticed when we arrived was our friends, they were all seated in three separate chairs with their hands behind their backs-their backpacks and weapons were pushed against the wall.

Aisha's face lit up the instant she spotted us," Elsword," she cried, squirming in her seat.

"Aisha," Elsword rushed to her side, wrapping his arms around her. "Thank goodness you're okay."

"Took you guys long enough," Chung said, frowning. "Do you know how worried we were? We thought you guys were held somewhere else."

"I-I'm so glad everyone is safe." Aisha sniffled. "I wouldn't know what to do if something were to..."

"Don't say things like that," Elsword said, as he went behind her. "Let's just set free first, we can talk about this later."

"A-alright."

Looks like they're finally getting along.

"How did you guys end up down here?" I asked, approaching Chung and Eve.

Eve bit her lower lip," I-I do not know how we can answer."

"W-we got ambushed," Chung added, taking a quick glance at Raven. "It honestly doesn't make much sense to me either."

"What doesn't make sense?" I questioned as I began undoing the rope around Chung's hands.

"Well, we were investigating the second floor as ordered," Eve began. "There was not a lot to see, so we had decided to head down and look for your team. On the way down we were attacked."

Chung rested his arms on his side once the rope was undone. I proceeded to untie Eve next.

"We fought the Nasods off pretty well," Chung added, his eyes locked onto Raven. "Until we were ambushed by someone."

"Who?" Elsword piped in. "Who ambushed you?"

Eve whispered a 'thank you' as I freed her hands.

Elsword drew out his swords," tell me who ambushed you guys." He repeated, with stiff shoulders.

Aisha, Eve, and Chung looked at each other with wide eyes, as if urging each other to speak up. I glanced over at Raven, his back was now facing us with a sword tightly in hand.

"W-we were probably just hearing things," Aisha spoke up, laughing stiffly. "I-I'm sure we were just a b-bit out of it when they attacked."

"Aisha," Elsword spoke in a barely audible voice. "Please tell me who hurt you."

Aisha's cheeks lit up in a light shade of pink,"E-Elsword."She stammered, clasping her hands together. "W-we were feeling dizzy w-when-"

"This is an order,"Elsword cut her off. "Tell me everything that happened. I don't care who it is, just tell me the truth."

Aisha slumped down in defeat and buried her face in her hands. Elsword sheathed his swords and placed his hands on her shoulders," tell me, Aisha." He whispered, squeezing her shoulders. "Please tell me who hurt you."

"Y-You're going to think we're crazy," she hastily wiped her face. "Just forget it."

"I won't think you're crazy, I promise I won't."

Chung sighed," when we were attacked we heard a voice." Aisha and Eve seemed to tense up as he went on. Chung took a deep breath in, we heard Raven's voice."

The air instantly thickened as the fragile alliance between Raven and Elsword finally snapped. Elsword locked eyes on Raven the instant Chung finished speaking. Raven kept his back toward us.

"That conclusion does not make sense as Raven was with your team the whole time." Eve quickly added.

Eun sparked with energy at the new information-I could feel it's urge for Raven's blood. I fought it off as it yearned for control.

Hearing Raven's voice before getting knocked out does plant some strong evidence against him, but Raven can't be in two places at once. I can't just let Eun lash out on him when the puzzle pieces don't fit together, there has to be more to this story.

"I see." Elsword released Aisha's shoulders and reached down for his swords. "Thanks for telling me."

Eve shot up from her seat," Elsword, what do you plan on doing?"

Elsword began approaching Raven, ignoring Eve's question. Aisha cried out to him, begging him to not hurt Raven.

"So this is it then?" Raven turned to face Elsword; my heart dropped at his reddened eyes. "You're going to attack me without another thought."

"I-I can't trust you anymore, Raven." He pointed one of his swords at him. "We don't have the time to investigate you, we're racing against time now. We have innocent lives to protect and an entire war to worry about. I can't afford to have a traitor on our side."

Raven quickly side stepped as Elsword lunged forward, the metal floor cried loudly as his swords landed on its cold surface.

"Ara, why does Elsword distrust Raven?" Eve asked, with her eyes glued to the abrupt fight. "What happened between them?"

I hastily explained the Nasods' strange behaviour when he spoke, and how he was regarded as 'commander' by one of the enemies. Aisha grew more distressed with each new information presented while Eve and Chung simply remained quiet and processed their emotions internally.

"And that's the story," I finished with a frown.

"I understand why Elsword would want to attack him," Eve commented. "Especially at a stressful time like this."

"But not everything adds up," I defended with burning eyes. "How could Raven attack you when he was with us? Why didn't he just attack us when we were exploring and surrounded by Nasods?"

I did believe he was a traitor at one point-it was just too easy to walk through the Nasod factory. Now that I've heard the other team's story I'm starting to doubt the idea of Raven being a traitor. Everything is starting to sound like a set up, like someone is wanting us to alienate him.

_But we must not trust him fully. _Eun added. _I do agree that the situation sounds like a set up, but there is no clear evidence to back this theory up. Ara, you mustn't let your guard down. _

'But there's still a chance that he's not a traitor. If Raven is innocent we need to do something to clear his name.'

_Child, I admire your will to fight for a companion, but I fear this will one day be your down fall. _

"So what do we do now?" I asked, ignoring Eun's remark. "We don't know if Raven is really a traitor and we have little evidence to support both sides of the argument."

"We also need to find a way to shut down this factory." Eve added, crossing her arms. "We could not find anything to help shut this place down on the second level, so we were hoping your team would have found something."

"We were told this was the commander's office," I glanced around the room. "You'd think there would be something here to shut this place down."

I didn't notice until now, but the office is strangely empty. I thought the office would at least have computers monitoring the activity at each station, a layout of the factory, and some documents stating the factory's goals, accomplishments, and failures.

Instead the room has various boxes laying around, each filled with spare Nasod parts. This is a sad office to work in but a perfect space for battle.

"Stop dodging my attacks!" He struck the ground with his sword, creating a pillar of fire. "Come and fight me, coward."

Raven didn't reply. Instead he prepared himself to defend against the next attack-this enraged Elsword further.

Elsword screamed, coating himself in a blazing red aura," I won't let you get away from this."

He launched himself at Raven, swinging his swords rapidly at him. Raven struggled to fend him off; he nearly got pierced during the swift attack. Their swords cried out loudly as they clashed into each other's paths, grinding angrily against each other.

"Step down," Raven said through clenched teeth. "Stop this fight at once."

"Why should I?" Elsword replied, jumping back. "Sword Blasting!"

Elsword materialized three golden swords around Raven, with a swing of an arm the swords launched themselves at Raven.

Raven quickly fended himself from one sword, but couldn't escape from the other two. He stumbled back from the impact but quickly regained his footing and continued his stand against Elsword.

Elsword took this chance to launch at Raven again, his first sword was blocked but his second sword managed to slice through his shoulder. Raven's stance weakened from the injury.

We cried out to Elsword, begging him to spare Raven, but none of our voices were able to break through his anger. He continued to fight not realizing Raven had been on the defence the entire time.

"W-we should do something." I managed to say. "They can't-"

"I know," Chung cut me off. "But this isn't our fight, we should stay out of it."

"What do you mean this isn't our fight?" I growled, slapping him on the back of the head. "We can't just watch as Elsword beats Raven to death."

"This is tension between Raven and Elsword," he answered, without looking back. "It's not up to us to deal with it."

"But they're fighting-"

"Let them fight it out. It's the only way they'll be able to solve anything."

I had the urge to slap him, like Eve would, but it would only add onto the unnecessary violence.

I don't see how fighting your friend can possibly fix anything. In my opinion, it's better if they talked it out peacefully, that way no one gets hurts.

"I know you're worried," Chung added softly; my heart jumped excitedly in response. "If you want, we can intervene if things get too messy."

"Okay." I whispered. "T-thank you."

I averted my attention back onto the one sided fight. Elsword's power continued to grow while Raven kept himself neutral and continued to defend against the attacks.

This fight is pathetic. I thought grimly. It's like watching a raging lion fight a harmless rabbit.

"Elsword," Raven called out, as he jumped back from one of Elsword's attack. "Stop this now."

"Man up and fight me." He screamed, clashing swords with Raven.

Raven clumsily backed away from him," p-please." He said in between breaths. "Stop this."

Elsword cursed at him before lunging at him once more, his swords were barely fended off. He jumped away from Raven, cursing at him for not fighting back.

"Elsword-"

Elsword ran up to him, lunging his sword down by his feet. Within seconds a circle of magical swords rose from the ground, Raven cried out as the swords sliced past him.

I froze as Raven fell to his knees, now vulnerable to Elsword's attacks. Chung rose to his feet as Elsword placed a sword on Raven's neck, he winced as the blade began sinking into his flesh.

"You coward," Elsword spat; panting. "Y-you didn't even had the guts to face me."

"Elsword, please don't." Aisha begged; she rose from her seat but her legs wouldn't allow her to stay standing. "Please don't k-kill him."

"W-we don't know for s-sure if he's a traitor." I added, with trembling legs. "L-let's talk about this first."

Please just talk about this.

"That was an awful fight." Elsword went on, ignoring our cries. "How dare you tell me to back down. You couldn't even lift your sword. How pathetic."

"I-I..." Raven bowed his head-his fingers released the sword from his hand.

"Y-you what?" Elsword shakily dug his blade deeper into Raven's neck. "Speak up!"

"I didn't want to hurt you."

Elsword's face drained of colour the instant those words left Raven's mouth. He opened his mouth to say something but he couldn't manage out a single word. All eyes were now glued on the blade resting on Raven's neck.

After what Raven said, can Elsword still bring himself to kill him? Does he really hate him that much?

Raven laughed, but there was no humour in his voice," I never thought my life would be threatened by you, Elsword." He slowly brought his hand up, to the blade resting against his neck, and pushed it away-Elsword didn't bother fighting back. "I can't blame you though. Who would want to keep a _traitor _around?"

The shock that had rested on Elsword's face was quickly abandoned as anger regained control over him. Elsword slammed his sword on the ground, cursing loudly at Raven," what am I supposed to believe?" He shouted. "Who are you? Which side are you really on?"

Raven shrugged, wincing as he moved his injured shoulder," that's up to you to decide." He looked up at Elsword." You're the one that's going to determine if I live or not."

The sound of a door opening caught my attention. I turned my head at the hallway we had just came from, faint footsteps began to approach. Before I had a chance to speak up the footsteps abruptly quickened its pace. Within seconds a red Nasod came running into the room, charging directly at Elsword.

"Elsword, look out!" Aisha screamed, watching in horror as the Nasod pointed its sword at him.

Elsword barely had time to react as the Nasod swung its sword at him. Raven quickly wrapped his arms around Elsword and pulled him down, barely saving him from the fatal blow.

"Elsword!" Aisha cried, her face was drowned in tears.

"How dare you attack him," Eve snapped her fingers together-within seconds two Nasod servants jumped in front of her. "Oberon and Ophelia, attack that Nasod."

The two servants launched themselves at the Nasod. Ophelia launched pink grenades at the Nasod while Oberon went in the for kill. The Nasod jumped away from the grenades, barely having enough time to defend itself from Oberon's attack.

Eve cursed at the missed attacks," keep attacking." She ordered. "We mustn't allow this Nasod to do further harm."

Oberon and Ophelia continued their attacks, each one aiming the Nasod at different angles. The Nasod moved strategically around the office space, swiftly dodging each attack the servants launched at it.

That Nasod is a little too good at fighting. It might be a bit of a problem if we have to take it on.

"Are you okay?" I heard Raven asking Elsword.

"Y-yeah." He stammered. "Thanks for the save. I...uh...owe you one."

"Don't mention it," Raven began shuffling back up, whimpering as he moved his injured body.

"Wow, take it easy, man." Chung hurried by Raven's side, helping him up stay on his feet. "You've lost a lot of blood."

"I-I'm fine." He gestured to his sword. "C-can you pick that up for me?"

"But-"

"Please, Chung, just do me this one favour." He interrupted. "I-I can stand now...I think."

"I can help with that." I hurried by their side.

"T-thanks, Ara."

"You should rest," I said, picking up the sword. "Leave all the fighting to us now."

It's the least we can do for hurting you, I wanted to add.

Raven smiled," thanks for worrying." He replied, as he took the weapon back. "But I'm fine, I've dealt with injuries worse than this before."

"Look, Raven," Elsword piped in, as he got back to his feet. "I-I'm sorry that-"

"Don't worry about it." He cut him off. "I understand why you attacked me, so stop worrying about it."

Elsword lowered his gaze," I-I'm sorry." He whispered.

"Maximum Canon!" Raven suddenly shouted.

I instinctively backed away from Raven and prepared myself for an incoming ball of fire.

_This is...interesting. _Eun piped in.

I suddenly felt like the whole world was crashing down on me," w-what?" I felt my heart pounding loudly against my chest. "R-Raven?"

To everyone's surprise, Raven wasn't the one who called the attack, he was still being kept up by Chung-he didn't even have his sword raised. Elsword's face went pale and turned his head at the Nasod.

"It was you, wasn't it?" He spoke slowly. "You filthy Nasod."

I growled and averted my attention back to the red Nasod. The Nasod was still standing, without a scratch on its body, Oberon and Ophelia gingerly circled around it, refusing to stand down from the fight.

"Cyclone!" Aisha summoned a small tornado toward the Nasod.

With a blink of an eye the Nasod dashed to the side, avoiding the attack," Cannon Blade." It raised its arm, it was very similar to Raven's Nasod arm, and launched a fireball at Aisha.

Elsword cursed loudly and ran toward the fireball," Triple Geyser!" He slammed his sword on the ground, three pillars of fire rose in front of the fireball's path. The fireball was engulfed by the pillars immediately upon contact; Aisha breathed a sigh of relief.

"Aisha, are you okay?" Elsword asked, panting.

"Y-yeah." She fell to her knees. "T-thanks for the help."

"Foolish humans," the Nasod spoke in Raven's voice. "Surrender to us if you wish to have a quick and painless death."

I hate how this Nasod is using Raven's voice. I thought, clenching my teeth tightly together. Maybe this is why the Nasods didn't attack us, they probably thought Raven's voice belonged to this Nasod.

_That does make sense; however, it is quite a coincidence that it has been programmed with the exact same voice as Raven. _

'But now we know Raven is on our side, right?'

_Perhaps, but I still would not trust in him so much. _

"Who are you?" Eve spoke up. "Why do you sound like our team mate?"

"I am simply the Black Crow leader's replacement." It answered, turning its head at Raven. "The one you call 'Raven' was once with us. He would still be on our side if he had not met such weak humans."

He was with the Nasods at one point? Could there be a chance that he's still working with them? Maybe I'm just overthinking this, but he could be acting as a spy for the Nasods.

"That was then," Eve took a step forward. "Now he is on our side."

"Looks like your past is catching up to ya'" Chung said with a humourless laugh. "You're causing quite a lot of trouble today."

"This group of humans is truly sad." The Nasod went on, as it lowered its sword. "It not only has our former Black Crow leader, but it also shelters the infamous Nasod traitor."

Eve scoffed at its remark.

"However, I am willing to kill this sinful team in a peaceful fashion. Just surrender and allow us to quickly execute you, it will benefit both sides."

"Dimension Link - Century." A blue circled materialized behind the Nasod, with a flash light the Nasod scout appeared from behind and stunned the Nasod.

"Oberon and Ophelia, attack now." Eve ordered.

The Nasod scout safely hopped back into the blue circle just as the two servants launched at the Nasod. Ophelia shocked the Nasod with pink lightning bolts while Oberon dragged its sword against the Nasod's chest, slicing its metal coating open.

The Nasod fell onto its knees. One more hit should be enough to finish it off.

Eve smiled at her victory," such a weak and-"

"Useless," The Nasod sprung back to its feet.

It held its hand out and launched a fireball at Ophelia before turning around to seek its revenge out on Oberon. Oberon jumped to the side but it couldn't out run the incoming blade.

My jaw dropped as the two Nasod servants fell from the abrupt attack-if that Nasod can take down Eve's servants in one hit, what will happen if we go against it? We might not be able to make it out in one piece if this keeps up.

"O-Oberon and O-Ophelia, return." She stammered-the two Nasods disappeared with a flash of light.

"A futile effort," The Nasod began approaching Eve, with sword ready in hand. "I would hate to slay the former Nasod ruler, but you leave me no choice."

"S-stay away," Eve took a shaky step back.

"Get away from her," I growled, readying myself to attack.

_If we fight, we may get severely injured-or worse. Are you sure you want to face an enemy like this?_

'I'll be fine, Eun. After all, I have you by my side.'

The Nasod continued forward, laughing at Eve's fear with each step. I could only see red at this point, I hated how this Nasod had toyed with us. I grinded my teeth together, anticipating to rip it into shreds.

"You're so dead-"

Someone grabbed onto my shoulder," d-don't fight it." Raven coughed. "Y-you'll be destroyed."

"We can't just leave this thing alone." I protested, glancing between Eve and the Nasod. A small voice in my head screamed at me to launch forward, but I decided to hold back for just a bit longer.

Raven chuckled," w-who says w-we're gonna leave it alone?" His grip tightened as he took a step forward.

"Dude, you can't fight." Chung piped in, grabbing his Nasod arm. "You won't last a minute out there. Let us handle this."

"Don't worry about me." He freed himself from Chung's grip. "I can't drag you into my fight. This Nasod is the result from my past. I-if I had never been involved with the Nasods, it wouldn't have existed."

"Raven-"

"If things get messy," he went on; his hand was trembling at this point. "Leave without me, and don't turn back."

He took a deep breath in before letting go of my shoulder. I wanted to hold him back but i knew he would only fight me off.

I felt my heart shattering with each trembling step he took, a trail of blood droplets followed behind him. I wanted to look away, I know it would only destroy me if I see what that Nasod will do to him, but I couldn't muster the strength to turn my head away.

I swallowed the lump forming on the back on my throat," R-Raven," I whimpered. "I-I'm sorry."

"Ara," Chung wrapped an arm around me-I'm not sure if this is a gesture to give me comfort or simply a way to keep me from interfering.

"D-do we have to just stand here and watch?" I cried; Elsword and Aisha was now screaming at Raven to turn back. "A-are we really just supposed to watch him fight?"

"He'll probably fight us off if we try to help, that'll leave him even more vulnerable to the attacks," Chung whispered. "But I'm planning to jump in when he gets in danger; you with me?"

I bobbed my head.

Raven pointed his sword at the Nasod, his weakened arm trembled under the weapon's weight," your opponent is me." Raven said in between breaths. "Back away from the Queen."

The Nasod stopped in its steps," why do you fight against us?" It lowered its sword from Eve. "Humans have caused you nothing but trouble. You would not be standing here if it weren't for us Nasods."

"I've committed numerous sins while fighting along side the Nasods," he coughed; the stench of blood grew stronger. "I have innocent blood on my hands because of your revenge on the humans."

"Do you not wish revenge on humans yourself?" The Nasod pointed its sword at him. "Us Nasods will still welcome you, so drop your weapon and return back home. I would hate to slay the original Black Crow leader-I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

Raven readied himself to fight," you Nasods have hurt my friends." A blazing red aura engulfed his body; an orange orb, with spike-like accessories encircling its body, hovered beside Raven.

"You Nasods have hurt so many innocent lives, you've turned me into a murderer," the aura around Raven sparked with electricity. "You made me destroy the family of two innocent kids."

I wanted to throw up as those last words came out. As if Chung had felt my discomfort, his arm pulled him closer to him. I took this as a sign of comfort.

Raven launched a large fireball at the Nasod, the Nasod quickly leaped back from the attack.

"I don't want to fight for revenge anymore, I want to fight for the innocent who have lost their lives." He raised his sword up. "I'll fight you with everything I got, and I could care less if I die in the process."


	49. 49

"Hypersonic Slash!" Raven charged forward, striking the Nasod with multiple times; his imposture hastily navigated itself backwards, leaning back as it tried to avoid the attack.

The Nasod jumped back, stumbling as it landed. Raven hurried forward, barely giving it enough time to adjust its footing. Jumping into the air, Raven slashed his sword down, launching a blue shock wave down on the Nasod.

The Nasod tried to side step, but could not outrun the attack. It stumbled back as the shock wave made contact with it, nearly knocking it down on its feet.

Raven ran toward the Nasod once more, with his sword pointed at its chest. I held my breath as he drew closer to the enemy-if he can successfully execute this attack, he will win this fight.

Just as Raven was about to pierce through the Nasod, it held its arm up and launched a fireball at him. Raven quickly halted in his tracks, the strange orb following Raven around jumped in front of him, extending its black claws around Raven to shield him from the attack.

I wish I had something like that to protect me.

The Nasod jumped behind him and launched a series of fire balls at him. Raven howled in pain as the fire balls sent him flying forward; that must have opened his wounds further.

"You have grown weak." The Nasod scoffed. "These humans have softened you."

"Shut...your...trap." Raven groaned-his body trembled as he tried to stand back up.

"You stand no chance against me." The Nasod dashed forward and grabbed Raven by the neck.

"Raven," Elsword began to run forward.

"Don't," Raven weakly held his Nasod hand up and launched a fireball at Elsword-Elsword quickly jumped back from the attack.

"What are you doing?" Aisha cried. "Let us help you, Raven. We're your friends, we can't just sit here and let you get beat up."

"This is my fight-" he squeezed his eyes shut as the hand around his neck tightened.

I felt sick to my stomach. I swallowed, hoping to keep down whatever content is left in my system.

If it weren't for our little faith in him, he would've been in perfect shape to fight. If he dies in this fight, it would be because of us. We're horrible friends.

_It is true that we had distrusted him, thus injuring him greatly prior to this battle. _

Raven squinted his eyes open," my sins...my responsibility..." He smiled. "Only fight when I...fail."

_However, it is his decision to fight alone. He wanted no help from us, and he is willing to accept the consequences that come with such decision. The blood is not on your hands, only the dagger that had pierced him on the back is._

The Nasod laughed, tightening its grip," you are just as pathetic as those humans. We should've known better than to save your life, all humans are the same; they are all pathetically weak."

"Be quiet," Eve piped in, her voice sounded with anger. "I will not allow a Nasod like you to speak poorly of my friends."

Eve raised her hand up, in and instant her drones flew by her side," Raven, I understand that you wish to tackle this fight alone as it is the first step to facing your sins; however, this initial step should also be taken by me."

With a flash of light Oberon appeared beside the Nasod and pierced its side with its sword. The Nasod instantly released Raven from its grip and doubled back.

Eve hurried to Raven's side while Oberon guarded them against the Nasod," I apologize for interrupting your fight." She said with a warm smile.

"Eve..."Raven coughed; blood dripped from the side of his mouth.

"I abandoned by kind and left them to suffer; their death is weighed on me." She wiped away the drip of blood off his face. "You and I are much alike, our sins are equally as heavy and our hands are stained with innocent blood. So why should we not fight together; to work with one another to repent for our sins?"

"You useless Queen," the Nasod launched a trail of fireballs at Eve and Raven, Oberon swiftly intervened with each fireball. "Do you honestly believe you can repent? You have betrayed the entire Nasod race by siding with_ them_, the only way to repay us is through death."

A pink aura engulfed Eve-a hovering orb, similar to Raven's, emerged from a flash of light," a peasant like you has no right to give orders." She spoke slowly. "I will take my throne back, and I will rebuild the Nasod race. You can choose to help me rebuild my kingdom or you stand with the new ruler and fight against me-that choice will lead to your death."

"I would like to see you try to kill me," the Nasod rushed forward, Oberon stood in front of the Nasod and clashed swords with it.

"Spit Fire - Flush!"

With a flash of pink light, Ophelia appeared above the Nasod. It spun into the air, releasing electric shock waves in the process-the Nasod was instantly stunned by the attack.

Eve launched at the Nasod," Illusion Stinger!"

Eve summoned out a set of spears and launched them at the Nasod, a path of electric shocks followed the spears' path. The orb hovering by Eve released a blue laser at the Nasod once the attack finished, stunning it once more.

"Sonic Wave."

Oberon sprung forward and released a large blue shock wave with its sword, the Nasod was thrown back as a result.

Eve rushed forward, readying to launch her next attack," Illusion-"

"Maximum Canon." The Nasod quickly launched a fireball at Eve, sending her flying back-Oberon caught her in its arms before she could hit the ground.

"D-do you think they'll be fine." I asked, with heart pounding from excitement and fear.

This fight is not something you can everyday. In this fight both sides are throwing their life on the line, everyone is fighting with everything they have despite their injuries and fatigue. It's almost fascinating to see how strong their will is to take down their opponent.

"They'll be fine," Chung replied softly. "I've never seen Eve this angry before either, so I think they'll be okay."

I really hope so.

Hopping back to its feet, the Nasod rushed toward Eve.

"Power Assault." Raven charged forward, knocking the Nasod out of Eve's way.

As the Nasod struggled to find stable ground, Raven launched his next attack," Breaking Fist!" He punched the Nasod in the face, a small explosion resulted from the impact.

"Power Assault!" The Nasod charged forward before Raven could safely back away.

"Oberon," Eve pointed to the charging Nasod.

Oberon shifted Eve into one of its arms before charging forward, slashing the Nasod across its back. The Nasod slumped down from the attack, leaving itself wide open for Raven.

Raven held his sword up; glowing blue particles gathered into his sword, extending the blade by a few inches," Berserker Blade!" He brought his sword down, cutting deep into the Nasods' back.

The Nasod's body stiffened as the blade dug deep into its body. Raven cursed before lifting his sword out of the Nasod's body, the Nasod collapsed onto the metal ground once the sword was lifted.

I could feel my shoulders relaxing, even the tension that had plagued the room began to loosen.

Eve smiled as she hopped out of Oberon's arm," this is our win." She glanced back at her servant. "Good job, Oberon. You may rest now."

The Nasod servant bowed to its Queen before retreating into a bright light.

"You lost," Raven kicked the Nasod's sword out of its hand. "Now tell us where your King is."

The Nasod laughed," I will not...betray my King."

Raven placed his sword on its head," tell us now," he ordered sternly.

The Nasod continued to laugh, ignoring the blade that's about to dig into its head.

"It's fine," Eve piped in, kneeling beside the fallen Nasod. "It's loyalty stands firmly with the King, there is nothing we can do."

Raven simply nodded and kept his blade on the Nasod's head.

"I apologize for hurting our kind," she told the Nasod softly. "I know it is hard to forgive me, but I promise to rebuild the Kingdom in a peaceful manner. We will no longer make any more enemies, we will not be hurt again."

"P-pathetic," the Nasod wheezed. "You will never...repay us. W-we will never forgive...you."

"I know," she placed her hand on its shoulder. "However, that will not stop me from trying to win forgiveness."

"You're wasting...your time."

"I-I'm so sorry," she began to cry; it broke my heart to see her break down. "I-I can't imagine the pain you and everyone else has been through."

"I will never...forgive such a weak Queen." The Nasod spat. "I serve the...King only."

Raven plunged his sword into the Nasod's head; silencing it for the last time. Eve cried into her hands, while Raven kept his gaze down on the fallen Nasod. No one said a word for the next minute-no one knew what to say.

"You alright?" Raven finally asked.

"I-I'm fine." Eve helped herself back up. "Thank you for the help."

Raven chuckled," I should be the one thanking you. I'd be dead if you hadn't jumped in."

"It was your willingness to face your mistakes that motivated me to fight." She said, wiping the last few drops of tears away. "I felt like a coward when I saw you confront that Nasod."

"Quit flattering me." He laughed, resting his weight on his sword. "Good job on taking that first step. I applaud you for finally taking action."

"I am quite proud of myself as well." She said, with a smile. "You are in a very poor condition still, we must get you medical help."

Eve held onto Raven as his legs began to tremble.

Raven smiled," t-thank you." He whispered before collapsing.

I clutched my hands into tight fists as my vision began to blur with tears.

After all that fighting Raven can't be dead, it'd be unfair to him. I thought bitterly. The world can't be this cruel.

"Raven," Elsword rushed over to Eve-helping her to hold him up. "Raven, are you okay?"

Eve placed a finger on Raven's wrist, she closed her eyes for a moment before responding," he's still alive, but I would suggest giving him immediate help. He cannot afford to lose any more blood."

"Aisha, I need you to perform immediate medical treatment." Elsword ordered in an instant. Aisha bobbed her head and hurried to their side.

"C'mon," Chung nudged me forward. "We should join them."

"Y-yeah." I managed to word out-still stuck in a bit of a daze.

He ruffled my hair before rushing forward, I reluctantly followed behind him. I scrunched my nose with each step forward, the stench of Raven's blood grew stronger as I got closer-its scent reached its desperate hands out to me; begging me to keep Raven from dying.

The air thickened once I got a closer look at Raven. He looked so fragile in Elsword and Eve's arms; he could easily be mistaken as dead to a bystander, you could barely see his chest moving. His face was drained of colour as the blood seeping through his wounds continued to stain his white jacket.

"W-we should lay him down." Eve sniffled.

Elsword's eyes widened," Eve, are you-"

"Just lay him down." She cut him off. "P-please."

Without another word, Elsword and Eve gingerly lowered Raven to the ground-my chest ached as Eve's breath grew heavy, I wonder what she could be thinking right now. Someone took a sharp breath in as Eve began to bawl.

Aisha shuffled herself beside Eve and wrapped an arm around her," he'll be okay." She whispered; gently rubbing Eve's back. "I promise I'll take good care of him."

"I'll get the supplies from the bags." Chung whispered to Elsword-he hurried back once Elsword gave him the approving nod.

"S-sorry for making you all see t-this." Eve whimpered. "I-I'm s-sorry-"

"You don't have to be sorry for crying," I blurt out-my face warmed at my unplanned response. "I-it's normal to cry, so don't be sorry."

"Ara's right," Aisha added, smiling. "Raven everyone's friend, so it's normal to cry over him."

"B-but Nasods do n-not cry." Eve whimpered, burying her face into her hands. "W-we cannot f-feel emotions."

"There's nothing wrong about having emotions." Elsword said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I think they make you even more awesome."

"Really, Elsword?" Aisha laughed, shaking her head. "Awesome is the only word you could come up with?"

"I'm just telling the truth," he winked. "Are you jealous, little miss boring."

Aisha pursed her lips tightly together, clearly unimpressed with his reaction," this is not the time to deal with you."

"I've got the medical supplies." Chung piped in, dropping a backpack beside Aisha. "Let's hurry and patch him up."

Aisha gave Eve one more reassuring pat on the back before gesturing us away. Chung helped Eve up to her feet, whispering some reassurance before sending her off. We gave Raven one last glance before walking away as Aisha and Chung began to work. Although they began to speak in hushed voices, their conversation couldn't hide from my ears.

"He's losing too much blood." Aisha said, shuffling through the backpack. "D-do you think we have enough supplies to help him?"

"Calm down, Aisha, we can't work efficiently if we panic." Chung replied. "Try not to speak so loud, they might overhear you."

"R-right."

I wanted to cover my ears up; to be as oblivious as Elsword and Eve. They're equally as worried about Raven, but at least they're spared from hearing Aisha and Chung's panicked conversation. At least they can hold onto some hope that he'll be okay.

"We should probably do something about the Nasods out there." Elsword broke the silence. "We should shut this place down as soon as we can."

Would going against an army of newly created Nasods really be a good idea?

"They would overpower us with number." Eve said, wiping her eyes. "It would be best if we attacked as a whole group."

"Eve, has a point." I piped in, hoping this will distract me from the conversation stirring behind us.

"If we continue to stall, the Nasods will gradually increase in number." Elsword folded his arms together. "We can have two people fighting off the Nasods while the last person aims for the machines. We'll still be at a disadvantage in number, but at least we'll be able to halt Nasod production."

Eve pinched the bridge of her nose," I don't know." She sighed. "Ara, what do you think?"

I would feel more comfortable fighting as a whole, but Elsword does have a point about stopping Nasod production. It's a risky move, but at least it'll decrease the amount of Nasods we'll face in the future.

"Fine, let's go." I replied-Elsword smiled brightly at his approved plan while Eve simply nodded.

"We're going out to finish our mission." Elsword announced to Aisha and Chung.

"You're going now?" Aisha asked, without looking back. "Are you sure you'll be able to handle those Nasods?"

"Don't worry about us." Elsword replied, pushing us into the hallway. "I want you two to take your time with Raven. Remember, Eve's counting on you two."

Eve bowed her head," he didn't have to say that last part." She whispered to herself.

He's just trying to say you're worried about Raven, there's no shame in worrying about a friend. I wanted to say.

"Let's hurry and go," Elsword pushed us further down the hall; oblivious to Eve's comment.

"Why are you in such a hurry to go back out there?" Eve frowned. "Are you not concerned about the potential danger we could face out there?"

"We need to get out of here before Aisha comes running after us," he explained hastily. "She might force us to wait for her to finish with Raven."

I think Aisha is more concerned about keeping Raven alive than tagging along with us.

Elsword grabbed onto our shoulders, holding us back as the exit came into view. My stomach turned at the possible scenarios that could occur on the other side. We could walk out victorious, or we could be cornered and lose our lives. There's no telling what could happen to us.

"Get ready you two." Elsword unsheathed his swords. "Things could get a bit messy out there."

"Who shall be attacking the machines?" Eve asked, with her drones hovering closely by her side.

"Eve and I have more of an advantage in combat," I began. "Eve can summon out her own fair share of Nasods to fight while I have Eun to assist me."

"Awe man, why do I have to get the boring job?" Elsword whined. "I want to fight too."

"You can participate next time." Eve answered, smacking him on the back of the head. "Just stay focused on your task and do not mess up."

"You two are no fun," Elsword walked ahead of us. "I'm going to charge out there and aim for the closest machine, you two cover for me."

"Understood," Eve answered.

Elsword quietly counted up to three before charging forward, the metal door flew open as we proceeded forward. Elsword immediately launched an attack at the first machine sighted, causing a skin crawling screech as his blade slashed against the metal.

While Elsword proceeded to dissect the machine, Eve and I lowered our defences-we had nothing to raise our weapons against.

"Why aren't you two attacking?" Elsword asked in between breaths.

"We would attack as planned," I began; feeling very uneasy at our situation.

"However, there are no Nasods here for us to fight." Eve added.

The factory was completely empty, making our jobs much easier, but the abandoned building only put us on edge further. We refused to split up as we proceeded to destroy the machines in the many rooms-we wanted to stick together in case the Nasods planned to ambush us.

I wish I could say we ran into something to add some flavour into our adventure, but nothing made an appearance; except for the occasional misplaced Nasod parts on the ground.

It took no time for us to destroy the remaining machines before returning to Aisha and Chung; Raven was still being treated by the time we came back. We decided to rest up while Aisha and Chung did some finishing touches on Raven.

From what I could make from their conversation, Raven appeared to be in a much more stable condition than before. At least he's gotten through the worst of it.

"What time do you think it is?" Eve asked.

"Late," Elsword laid himself down. "I hope we didn't worry Agatha and Amos."

"I doubt Agatha cares for our safety." Eve scoffed.

Agatha might not care about Raven's safety-possibly Eve as well, but I doubt she won't be thinking about the rest of us. She was really nice when I spoke with her last night, if she really didn't care for us she wouldn't have said a single word to me.

"Give her a break, Eve." Elsword yawned loudly. "She just wanted to protect her brother from a bunch of strangers." He sighed. "Besides, her parents' murderer was with us."

Someone in the room coughed.

"I-I can't believe Raven actually murdered Amos' parents." The word 'murder' rolled bitterly off my tongue.

"That's a normal thing to think," Elsword turned to his side. "Truthfully, I'm not all that surprised."

I wanted to kick him for saying that. I might not have a high opinion of Raven, but I think it's cruel for one of his friends to say something like that about him.

"I'm not trying to be a jerk," Elsword quickly added, as if he just read my mind. "You would say the same thing if you knew the dude's past."

"His past?" I asked; this topic quickly caught my interest.

"Raven was scary back then-he almost cut my head off," Elsword laughed. " Good ol' memories."

That's some way to make a first impression-I shouldn't be one to talk though.

"Do you not think this should be Raven's responsibility to tell her?" Eve raised her brow. "What right do you have to spill such information?"

Elsword waved his hand dismissively," I'm sure Raven won't mind. Ara is a trusted friend now."

I couldn't help but smile at his comment.

"Besides, he's knocked out, so somebody's gotta spill the beans for him." Elsword rolled onto his back. "Our boy was once a Velder Knight. He was pretty good at his job from what he told us."

"However, he was one day framed and turned against by those he trusted. Even the people that he had protected turned their backs on him." Eve added.

Elsword slammed his fist on the ground," Eve, I called dibs on story telling." This earned him a death glare from Eve. "It's not fair."

Eve rammed her feet into his side. Elsword curled up into a ball, moaning loudly in pain. Satisfied with the damage done, Eve went on," his fiancee helped him escape, but she was slain by a knight in the process."

"H-he didn't tell us anymore after that." Elsword moaned, clutching his side. "He just said the Nasods saved him and then he started working with them."

So not even Elsword knows the full story to Raven's past. I guess I'm not the only one hiding things from my friends.

"We met Raven when he was the captain of this air ship, he was the only non-Nasod on that flying piece of metal." Elsword winced as he sat himself up. "H-he had attacked Velder and was headed to Elder."

"Long story short, they managed to knock some sense back to Raven and he requested to join the party in order to return to the right path." Eve concluded. "I was not yet part of the team yet, but I had heard of such information early on."

Raven must have had his fair share of kills during his days with the Nasods, so it does make sense that he was the one that killed Amos' parents.

_But that leads to yet another question. _Eun joined in. _Why would the Nasods attack Velder and Elder? It doesn't appear the Nasods have made extreme actions until their King had been given a chance to revive. _

'Just another question we have no answers to. Maybe Raven would know something about it.'

"Are you sure Raven will be happy with you two loud mouths?" my heart quickened as Chung invited himself into the conversation. Sitting himself beside me he went on," I doubt Raven would want you two to tell Ara about his past."

"If I don't tell her now she'll never find out," Elsword said, shuffling back to grab one of the backpacks. "You and Aisha must be hungry. We have some extra food in here."

Aisha propped herself down beside him; her face was as pale as snow," we appreciate your offer, but we can't exactly stomach any food right now."

"Raven gave us quite a scare." Chung emphasized. "We're still shaken up."

"You two still need to eat," I frowned. "If you continue on like this you could collapse from exhaustion."

Chung ruffled my hair; it felt like my heart had instantly melted upon contact," thanks for worrying, but we'd rather go without food."

"Ara has a point though," Elsword said, while digging through the backpack. "You two may not want to eat, but we don't want any more of you fainting on us." He pulled out two bags of salad-it's a miserable lunch but it was the only food left that had no bugs in it.

Aisha gagged as she received the bagged vegetables," don't yell at me if I throw up." She threw the second bag to Chung.

Chung wrinkled his nose up in disgust, but accepted the lunch without further complaints.

I averted my eyes away from the group and looked over at Raven. He was asleep where Chung and Aisha left him, with the backpack acting as his pillow. He finally looked relaxed and peaceful-something he hasn't shown throughout these past few days.

I almost don't want to wake him up. He'll only have to face more danger and pain when he wakes up.

"So the factory is now officially out of business." Aisha spoke up-I averted my attention back on the group.

"So what will we do now?" Chung asked with a stuffed mouth; I wanted to snap his mouth close, doesn't he know not to talk while chewing?

"Do you guys know what happened to the worker Nasods?" Aisha added.

Elsword shook his head," I guess that imposter Raven told them to leave." He frowned. "Why do those Nasods have to be so smart?"

"The village is in greater danger now that those Nasods are on the loose." Eve said, ignoring Elsword's remark. "We should hurry back to the Ponggos as soon as we can. I fear the Nasods may target them."

"What are we going to do about sleeping beauty?" Elsword cocked his head to the side. "We can't just leave him here."

"We'll need to carry him back." Chung helped himself up to his feet. "When I say we I meant you."

Elsword opened his mouth to protest but Aisha interrupted, "Eve has a good point, we should head back to the village as soon as we can. I doubt those improved Nasods would want to leave the village alone." She glanced over at Raven. "Besides, Raven needs to rest."

"I think we could all use some sleep after today." I admitted; I could use some alone time to relax and allow myself to process the events that took place today. "Today was a long day."

"We'll discuss our next plan of action when we get back." Aisha swung a backpack over her shoulder. "Let's go back to the village. I could really use a warm bath and a nice long nap."

I couldn't agree more.


	50. 50

**I bet you guys must "love" my uploading schedule. Well good news for you! This will probably occur more than once!**

**In all seriousness, I am sorry for the late update. There isn't any good reason as to why I didn't update. The only reason that I can use to defend myself with is the crazy semester I have. I had a plan to balance out my schoolwork and writing, but that obviously didn't work out too well.**

**My new studying schedule should give me more time to write, but I will apologize in advance if the updates are very late again. I'll try my best to write as much as I can.**

**Oh and before you read any further I would highly suggest going back and refreshing your memory on what happened. It'll help settle you back into the story.**

**Other than that enjoy and thank you so much for tolerating me and my wonderful updates XD**

* * *

It was unusually peaceful on the trip back to the village, it seemed like all the Nasods have disappeared into thin air. We decided to let our guard down as the one hour mark hit.

Raven woke up at some point and insisted he could walk by himself. Aisha was clearly upset by his request and insisted someone to help him walk. After much debate Raven gave in and allowed Elsword to help him walk.

We were nearly back at the village when the sun began to set, filling the island with a hue of amber light. The air cooled around us as the sun inched closer to the horizon, surrendering the sky to the moon and the stars.

Although we were still walking blindly through enemy territory, I was at peace. The evening breeze cooled the heated tension looming over us. For a moment I forgot about the possible Nasod war, the injuries Raven sustained, and the stolen El Shard. Everything seemed alright.

"Sorry," Raven whispered softly; almost too softly for us to hear. "I know I've been acting suspicious, and it's my fault-"

"Don't you dare blame yourself for what happened back there." Aisha cut him off. "It was our fault for distrusting you."

"It was partially your fault for acting so weird." Chung added.

Aisha raised her hand, threatening to hit Chung.

"Wow just hear me out," he backed away from her with raised hands. "Yes, it was our fault for distrusting him and hurting him, but he was acting really strange."

"I-I guess," she lowered her hand. "But that still doesn't-"

"Chung's right," Raven interrupted. "I shouldn't have acted so strange."

"Why did you?" I asked. If he was always on our side, why would he behave so strangely around us?

"It's a long story," he chuckled humorlessly. "You don't wanna hear it."

"Oh come on, we have the time to listen." Elsword piped in. "Don't think of it as a story, think of it as a chance for us to know you better."

I wrapped my arms around myself as a cold breeze brushed past us.

"I would like to listen as well." Eve said, with her eyes locked on the path ahead. "I am curious to know more about the human who shares the same sins as me."

I glanced back at Raven. He had his head bowed down and his arm wrapped around Elsword for support. He took a deep breath in before lifting his head up-his eyes were blood shot.

"You guys know part of my past, but I'll quickly go over it since Ara hasn't heard it yet." He wiped his with his sleeve. "I was once part of the Velder Knights. I had a good life in Velder. My job was getting food to the table every night, I had a roof over my head, and I even had a fiancée-"

"Loud mouth here already spilled the beans to Ara." Chung interrupted. I wanted to kick him for saying that.

"Oh really?" I could imagine Rave glaring daggers at Elsword.

"C-chill, dude." Elsword stammered. "I thought Ara deserved the right to know."

"And I should have the right to tell my own story." He snapped.

"Sorry, I thought I was doing you a favour." Elsword laughed uneasily. "Are we still cool?"

Rave sighed," whatever, I guess I can just jump to the point."

There was a pause. For a couple of seconds no one said a single word, only the sound of birds chirping could fill in the silence.

"You guys already know I committed terrible crimes." He began in a low tone. "But that wasn't the worst of it. All the people and Ponggos I killed in the past were out of my own will."

I wanted to block my ears and preserve the image I had of Raven, but I knew I had to listen through the entire story; we all had to.

"At first it was hard to kill the Ponggos, I felt guilty for killing them." He sniffed. "But the more I killed the easier it became. Soon I was able to slaughter a whole group of them without a care."

"Raven-" Aisha began.

"When the ship was finished I had wanted to go to Velder and destroy every last person in it." He went on. "But the Nasods suggested we go to Elder and test it out. The city is large but its defence isn't as heavy as Velder's"

A couple of birds fluttered over us. I watched as they hurried into the amber horizon.

"Along the way we spotted some..." Raven took a sharp breath in. "W-we saw some travellers. I-I didn't know them, but I wanted to hurt them so badly."

I felt my stomach twisting into knots.

"So I captured them and kept them prisoners on the ship." He added hastily.

A part of me wanted to know more about his story while another part wanted to hurt him for what he did to those innocent people. I bit my tongue, hoping it'll keep me from blurting out anything rude, and continued to listen.

"W-what happened to those people?" Aisha's voice cracked. "What did you do to them?"

"This is where you'll start to hate me." Raven chuckled; I couldn't tell if he was laughing at himself or at our predictable reaction. "Don't feel bad if you do end up hatin' me. I feel the same way."

"Raven." Elsword sighed. "Stop beating yourself up. We'll understand, we're your friends-

"So you guys are cool with me killing the kids' parents?" He snapped.

Even without looking back I knew Raven had his eyes locked on us, waiting for someone to speak up.

"Look I really don't care if ya' hate me." He added. "People like me don't deserve your forgiveness to begin with."

"Stop saying things like that," Aisha said, wiping her sleeve across her eyes. "We know the person you've become. We know you-"

"Allow him to finish." Eve interrupted. "Please, Aisha, land judgement after his story."

Aisha opened her mouth to protest but quickly retreated into silence before she could voice her thought. Raven took this chance to continue talking.

"The people I captured...became my defenceless prisoners." His breath began to quicken. "I-I tortured them. I made sure they suffered through their final hours."

_This is a very sick man. _Eun growled, I could feel some of its anger pumping through my body.

I held my breath and dug my nails into my palms. As much as I wanted to attack him for hurting those innocent people, I knew it would only cause more harm. At a time like this Raven needs to know his friends accept him, regardless of the ugliness in the past.

"How long did you usually keep them alive?" Elsword asked.

"It was usually for a day or two," he answered. "But I made sure their stay felt like weeks have passed."

Elsword cursed to himself.

"A-as you all knew, my ship didn't arrive directly to Elder." He went on. "We took some detours for some extra preparations. During that time I captured numerous travellers, demons-basically anything that could move.

I-I really didn't care about murdering until I saw how your guys fought. It reminded me of the person I used to be. I saw how I turned out and felt disgusted."

"So then you decided to fight against your own allies." Elsword blurted; I could see Aisha's shoulders stiffening in response to his interruption.

"I had second thoughts though. I wasn't sure if fighting with the Red Knights was worth it anymore."

"You were right, dude." Chung laughed grimly. "You're making it really hard to not hate you."

As much as I wanted to play good cop and defend Raven, I knew I couldn't let myself lie to my friends.

"I-I don't know if I should kill you or forgive you." Aisha cried, as she bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Raven."

"Aisha..." Elsword sighed. "I-I...I don't know, man. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I'm sorry as well." I spoke through clenched teeth; I could feel Eun threatening to surface.

Raven chuckled again," I knew you guys would react this way. I don't blame ya'."

"I can understand how the humans feel," Eve piped in coolly-it was a bit astonishing to hear her address him in such a calm tone, especially after hearing his story.

"I will admit that I am feeling something strange," she went on nonchalantly. "I have such a strong urge to order Oberon to attack you. In fact, I do not even wish to talk to you. The more I speak calmly to you the more I want to end your existence."

She came to a sudden halt and glanced back at him, smiling," despite your sins, despite your inhumane actions, and despite your well deserved punishment I will choose to forgive you."

At this point we had stopped in our tracks and had our eyes glued on Eve.

I was both disgusted (at the fact that Eve could forgive him) and shocked at her willingness to voice her feelings. Eve was the last person I would expect to shower Raven in kindness.

I glanced over at Raven, his face had drained of all colour and his jaw was dropped. It was almost hard to tell if he was just shocked or ready to pass out again.

Raven shook his head," y-you're joking." He laughed stiffly. "I-I never knew you-"

"I am a failure of a Queen," she cut him off. "And you are a failure of a knight. We both have failed to protect the things we cherished and we both have abandoned what we have sworn to fight for."

"It isn't the same." He muttered, bowing his head. "You didn't kill and torture, but I did."

"I a-" she paused. "I was a Queen."

She hastily wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"A Queen is sworn to protect her kingdom and those in it with her life." Eve continued. "You may think of a Queen as a mother, a figure who is given the responsibility to nurture and care for her children. When a Queen abandons her kingdom, she is allowing everyone in it to perish at the hands of her enemy. She is responsible for the lives lost, regardless of her presence on the throne."

She began her way towards Raven, her movements were both slow but elegant, like a princess learning how to walk properly," I understand your...guilt. I know it is difficult to allow yourself to accept that burden, but I know you can overcome it."

Raven turned his head away once she had reached him," Raven," she spoke softly. "Look me in the eyes."

Raven's jaw tightened.

"Please, do it for your friend."

He sighed and turned to face Eve, his shoulders stiffened almost instantly as he locked eyes with her," I forgive you and I know you can do better now." She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "We both know you can do a little better now."

"T-thank you," Raven smiled-it was a smile we hadn't seen for what felt like months.

He let go of Elsword and wrapped his arms around Eve. The abrupt hug made Eve stiffen but she quickly relaxed once she was able to determine it wasn't a threat.

"Give the others some time," she whispered in a tone only Raven and I could make out. "They'll forgive you, I promise."

"I'm sorry," he cried, pulling Eve closer to him. "I'm so sorry."

Eve raised her arms up and reluctantly wrapped them around him," it's okay now." She whispered, gently rubbing his back. "We will always be here to help you stay on the right path. You do not have to do this alone anymore."

I pried my eyes away from them and focused my attention on the path ahead. The plains were submerged in an amber light from the setting sun. Besides us, only birds could be seen roaming the land.

"Peaceful isn't it?" Chung positioned himself beside me. "This island is pretty nice."

"It'd be better if the Nasods made peace with the villagers." I pointed bitterly.

This island could have been home to a nice quiet town if the Nasods agreed to live peacefully with the Ponggos. The only reason the island is in such a turmoil is because those Nasods refused to share the land with the villagers.

"Can't just blame the Nasods on everything," Chung replied. "They've been suppressed for quite some time by humans."

"I guess, but it doesn't give them the right to harm the Ponggos." I protested.

"I know," he said, resting his arm on my shoulder. "Just try not to put the full blame on them."

A cold wind brushed in between us, causing the shivers to run slither down my back.

"So now that we're no longer surrounded by man-slaughtering robots, why don't you tell me how you've been doing?" Chung rested his weight on me, as if he's trying to keep me from running away.

"Aside from being attacked from Nasods, I've been great." I attempted to brush his arm off, but he refused to let me go.

"Oh really?" His voice dripped with sarcasm. "I guess I have nothing to worry about. I'm sure glad you're honest with me."

I can't believe he's going to play with game with me.

"And I'm glad you've grown more nosy." I said with a snort.

"What are friends for?" He replied coolly.

I wonder if this is his way of making me feel guilty for being so secretive-he's doing a pretty good job if it is.

He sighed and lifted his arm off," look, I know we had a rocky start, but think of you as a friend now."

I wanted to say something to throw him off track, but I couldn't seem to bring myself to interrupt.

"I wanna make sure you're okay." I could feel his gaze on me, waiting for me to give a response. "If the others knew I bet they'd want to know."

"I-I know." I replied, hiding my clutched fists in my sleeves. "Thanks for caring but I'm fine."

Chung groaned with frustration," why do you have to be so stubborn?"

I held my breath and turned to face him, it felt like the world around me stopped as I locked eyes on him for the first time during our conversation," I'm just tired from all the fighting." I spoke sternly to him. "There's nothing you need to worry about, I promise."

He tightened his lips together at my response," whatever floats your boat." He shurgged. "Just know you can talk to us about anything."

I felt my chest warming at his reassurance," thanks." I smiled.

I have a funny feeling this won't be the last time he confronts me about this topic. I should probably start thinking of a time to tell him, and everyone else, about my past and family.

The thought of revealing the past made me feel sick to my stomach, but the information will have to come out sooner or later. I just hope it won't be soon.

"It's getting dark now." Chung said, changing the subject. "I think we should start walking again."

I glanced back at Eve and Raven, they were still in the comfort of each others arms. I could just barely make out the whispered conversation between them," I'd hate to ruin the moment." I pointed toward him.

"We'll be stuck out here for another hour if they won't get over that hug." He stated bluntly. "I don't plan on sleeping outside tonight, but you can stay all you want if that's your thing."

I sighed and turned my back on them again," I guess you're right."

"I'll be the bad guy and break them up." He offered with a yawn. "Then we can finally get back and sleep."

I didn't offer any extra words as he went back to ruin their perfect moment together. I was too drained to reply anyways.

The walk back to the village was painfully quiet, but everyone was too tired to say anything. So much had happened during the mission today, and there's so much we still need to process. The missing Nasods, Raven's true nature, and the rising Nasod King was all starting to pile up on one another. The weight was starting to grow hard to bare-all I wanted now was to return and sleep on those thoughts.

I should've known better than to think we had a chance to return that night. The faint scent of smoke should've been a warning sign for us to hurry.

If I had taken that as an indication for danger we would've taken action sooner-despite losing more of our energy. If I wasn't so concerned about my own comfort we wouldn't have returned to the sight of a burning village.

* * *

When the entrance to the village was in sight we knew something wasn't right. The entrance to the village was destroyed, leaving behind a gaping hole. A strong stench of burning wood emitted from the inside. Several villagers were seen outside, crying and holding onto their loved ones.

Elsword cursed loudly, catching the attention of some of the villagers.

"T-they're back," one of them cried. "F-finally they're back."

Before we had a chance to ask the few villagers what had happened, they bombarded us with pleads. They all spoke at once, some revealing information about the Nasods' attack while others begged us to save the remaining lives trapped inside.

I can't speak for the others, but I was completely frozen by their requests. Although they were asking _us _to help fix the problem, to be the heroes, I couldn't help but feel guilty.

We had sworn to protect them and yet we allowed this invasion to occur. Leaving behind Yang may have been better than leaving no defence behind, but she should've known better than to only have one team member on guard duty.

"Okay, I need everyone to calm down and listen to me," Elsword yelled over the hysteric crowd, some of the villagers stopped talking while others continued to plead for help. "W-we will do our best to evacuate the village. I'll send my team down there-"

"Please don't leave us alone up here," one of the Ponggos cried. "W-we're sorry for being s-so rude to your team. Please just protect us a-and save us. We'll repay you with anything just please help us."

It was hard to keep my emotions under control when the Ponggo fell to her knees, crying and begging Elsword to protect them. Some of the villagers mimicked her actions, while others offered us valuable belongings on the spot.

I had to force myself to look away. It's our responsibility as Red Knights to protect innocent lives, it's something we all have a desire to do. With that in mind, it's heartbreaking to know that the people we're committed to protect view themselves as a burden-like we only do this for the benefits.

It's hard to understand when you aren't standing in our shoes.

"M-ma'am, we will help you," Elsword stammered. "I-I promise we will."

"Elsword, we need to move now." Aisha whispered.

Elsword nodded with eyes glued on the crowd," I-I'm going to leave some of my team behind to guard everyone. Does that sound okay to you guys?"

The Ponggos bobbed their heads almost instantly at the suggestion, some of the Ponggos even bowed to us out of gratitude.

"Raven, Chung, and Aisha, I want you three to stay behind and guard the Ponggos." Elsword ordered as he drew out his swords. "Ara, Eve, and I will head in to get the villagers out."

He didn't need to say another word as we sprung into action. Aisha and her group called on the Ponggos to step away from the entrance while my group stormed inside the heated village

When we entered the village I knew there was no way we could repair the damage done. A wild fire was burning through the village's buildings, eating away what was left of the Ponggo society. The crackling of the fire made it hard to hear the Nasods at work and the desperate screams for help.

"Here's the plan," Elsword said as he quickly scanned over the burning village. "Look through the village for any survivors and guide them out. Try not to focus too much on the Nasods."

"How long should we search for?" Eve asked.

"It doesn't look like there's much survivors down here," Elsword answered. Eve and I exchanged worried glances in response. "You should know when to stop."

"Good luck, guys," I said as Eun's aura erupted around me.

"And don't stay down here for too long," Elsword added hastily. "I-I don't want to lose anymore lives tonight."


	51. 51

"And don't stay down here for too long," Elsword added hastily. "I-I don't want to lose anymore lives tonight."

Without another exchange of words, we split into different paths. I swiftly glided down the heated street, passing by burned bodies of both Nasods and villagers. I strained my ears to pick up on any desperate cries for help, but nothing could be heard from the buildings.

I searched through my section of the street further, hoping that I would bump into someone that was still alive, but this hope was breaking the further I ran through the village. It was difficult to control my rage when I encountered enemy Nasods. Eun didn't even bother controlling me when I ripped through the Nasods like a blood thirsty animal.

"Tiger Claw!" I screamed, ripping my claws into an opposing Nasod. It went limp almost instantly and crashed into the ground.

_We should be going. _Eun finally spoke up. _We've searched for long enough. _

"I won't leave until we find a villager."I growled, wiping my sweat drenched forehead on my sleeve.

_Ara, your hand is scratched up and you are overheating in this environment. You will die if this continues. _

I didn't realize how badly my hand was throbbing until Eun mentioned it. The multiple Tiger Claws was bound to leave my hand damaged.

"I'm fine, Eun." I insisted. "I've still got to find Yang. Even if there's no villagers down here I won't let Yang die."

I can't lose anymore friends.

_Fine, but I will take over if you are put in any more danger. _

"Fair enough."

Ignoring my fatigued and overheating body, I took off into another sprint and continued my blind search through the a blazed village.

I continued to strain my ears on the surrounding building, hoping I could distinguish a cry for help over the roaring fire. My hopes of finding a villager and my trusted Phoru was quickly dying as time stretched out, the further I searched the more disappointed I grew.

I didn't know how long I was searching for, but the feverish heat made my time down there feel like an eternity. Every limb felt like it was on fire-I've lost track of how many times I thought my clothes had caught on fire. It was only a matter of time before my body would surrender to the heat or Eun would force us to leave.

My seemingly fruitless search was soon rewarded when I picked up the faint sound of crying. I nearly screamed in joy at sign of life. I used the last of my energy and rushed toward to crying, praying that they'll be okay by the time I reached them.

I swiftly turned the corner and noticed a group of Ponggos gathered in front of a burning house, most of them appeared to be children with a few adults accompanying them. One of the children turned their head and screamed at my approach, startling the remainder of their friends.

"Please hurry," one of the Ponggos screamed into the burning house. "There's a monster out here."

I came to a quick stop and hid my fox-like features," I'm an ally." I announced hastily. The younger Ponggos seemed to relax at my identity while the older ones held obvious suspicion of me.

"Who's still in there?" I asked, pointing to the burning house.

"My mommy is trapped inside." One of the children replied, crying. "The big fuzzy monster went in to save her."

I could only assume that big fuzzy monster was my trusted partner.

"We've been waiting out here for quite some time." One of the older Ponggos added. "W-we cannot wait in here any longer. I-I fear this heat will be harmful to the children."

"But my mommy is still inside." The small Ponggo stomped its feet angrily. "We have to wait."

"I-I know," the older Ponggo frowned. "W-we can wait for her outside."

"I don't want to go outside!"

"Everyone please calm down," I piped in sharply-I could hear something falling from the inside of the house, accompanied by rapid footsteps.

_Ara, step out of the way!_

I quickly leaped back as Yang charged out of the burning house with a Ponggo holding tightly onto its back, some of the amber flames kept their clutch onto Yang's feet but their scorching fingers didn't seem to bother it.

The children screamed at its abrupt appearance and hid behind the older ones, while child of the injured mother hurried to her side and attempted to climb onto Yang's back.

"Mommy, mommy," the Ponggo screamed as it jumped onto Yang's side and began climbing. The mother whispered for her child to get back down, but she was too quiet for the hysteric child to make out.

"You shouldn't grab onto the fur like that," an older Ponggo hurried to the child and pried it off of Yang. "You're hurting the poor creature."

"B-but I want to see mommy." The child trashed violently in the Ponggo's arms. "Let me go."

"Your mom is very tired right now," I quickly interjected, but it didn't stop the kid from squirming in the Ponggo's grasp. "Be a good kid and let your mom rest. I-I promise you can be with her once we're outside."

My suggestion seemed to be enough for the child, almost immediately they had stopped their trashing," d-do you mean that?" It asked.

I forced on a smile and nodded," now let's get out of here."

The older Ponggo set the kid back down and shot me a quick smile. I smiled briefly back at them and turned my attention to Yang and the mother Ponggo. The Ponggo looked almost lifeless on Yang's back, if she wasn't holding onto it I would've easily mistaken her for being dead.

"M'am are you still with us?" I dropped my voice enough so only she could hear.

The Ponggo moved its head and mumbled something in response.

"If you need anything tug Yang's fur twice." I told her softly. "Yang will let me know and I'll see what I can do for you."

She opened her mouth to respond but she couldn't muster the strength to voice her thoughts.

"I'll make sure your kid gets out of here," I added. "I promise I will."

Yang glanced back at us and twitched one of its ears," Yang, I want you to take the lead." I said, scratching the back of its ear. "I'll watch over things from the back."

Yang snorted and began walking. I gestured the remaining Ponggos to follow, they didn't hesitate for a minute as they hurried after Yang. I followed behind them and quickly scanned the building we passed by along the way in case there were any remaining villagers-I shouldn't have expected to find anyone but I refused to give up hope.

We ran into a couple of Nasods on the way back, but Yang alone had enough power to fight them off. The Nasod enemies didn't strike me as strange up until this point. When I was slaughtering the Nasods mindlessly, I couldn't notice the distinct pattern of the enemy Nasods. All of them were new, not one of the enemy Nasods we have encountered were the rusted and worn out.

I wonder if they only attacked the village because we invaded their factory. If we hadn't attacked the factory maybe the village would still be here and maybe these villagers would've never been targets to the Nasods.

I felt the weight of my guilt thickening around my throat.

_We do not know that fact for sure. _Eun pointed out. _This invasion may have been planned beforehand. Your visit to the factory may have been coincidental. _

'We don't know that, Eun. For all we know this village could still be standing if we hadn't went to the factory.'

_I am aware of that fact. Child, I am just trying to keep you from imagining any more stress and guilt. _

'I appreciate the help, Eun, but that's a possibility we can't just ignore.'

_I understand, but promise me you will not beat yourself up over something you have no evidence of. _

'I'll try.'

It felt like heaven when we exited the fuming village. Elsword was already out while Eve seemed to still be inside. I filled my lungs with fresh air and collapsed on the damp grass, soaking in the sweet freedom of the surface.

"Looks like someone is tired," Chung noted as he stood beside me. "Was it really that bad inside?"

"It felt like I was being cooked alive." I explained, sitting myself back up. "Are the villagers alright up here?"

Chung shrugged and glanced over at the reuniting families. Aisha was surrounded with a group of injured Ponggos while Raven and Elsword spoke to the village elder at the side.

"Raven and I was on look out while Aisha was playing nurse." He began. "We took care of a few Nasods escaping the village. I did most of the fighting while Raven threw away the remains."

"W-were they all the new ones?" I asked.

There was a pause before he replied," I didn't realize it until now."

We're the cause of this invasion there's no other explanation to explain the sudden attack.

"D-do you think we caused the attack?" I dropped my voice to a whisper. "We were the ones who invaded them first."

Chung sighed," I was thinking that a while ago." I clutched my hands into fists at his response. "But there's not enough evidence to back that theory up."

"It makes sense though." I pulled my knees into my chest. "W-we should've never went to the factory."

"I know what you mean." He ruffled my hair. "We'll worry about it later. Right now we should focus on helping the villagers."

"I guess you have a point." But it'll be hard to help anyone when all I could focus on was my guilt.

"Stop moping around and get up." I held my breath as Chung held out his hand to me. "You can help us on look out."

What should I do? Should I take his offer to help me up or should I just help myself up? It's not like I'm too injured or disoriented to help myself up, but it would be rude if I left him hanging.

"Are you going to stare at my hand all night or what?" He snapped me back to reality.

"I-is this a prank I should know about?" I pointed to his outstretched hand. "Should I be concerned about taking it?"

"I'm just trying to be nice," he snorted. "Are you going to take it or leave me hanging?"

I rolled my eyes and placed my hand into his. For once I was glad he was completely covered in armour or else he would've felt how clammy my hand were upon contact. I tried to keep a straight face as his fingers wrapped gently around my hand.

I didn't know why I had such a reaction to this simple gesture. He was only being a nice friend and here I am acting all weird about it. I guess my lack of sleep is really starting to get to me.

He effortlessly helped me back to my feet. I thought he was going to let go the moment I was on my feet; needless to say, I was quite surprised when I couldn't pull my hand away.

I couldn't bring myself to look him in the eyes as our hands were locked. I tried to say something but I couldn't think of anything to say. Our hands remained in each other's comfort as time dragged on around us.

"Can you please let us go?" Eun's suddenly sounded from my mouth.

Chung snapped out of whatever daze he was stuck in and quickly let me go," s-sorry." He stammered. "I-I was uh..."

"I-it's no problem." I replied once I was in control again. "I-I guess we're both really tired."

Chung laughed," y-yeah."

An uncomfortable silence fell between us. I don't know what just happened, but I wish I hadn't taken him up on that offer.

"Hurry out," Eve's voice sounded from the village entrance.

I averted my attention to the sound of her voice. Two small Ponggos rushed out from the village and were both greeted by two other Ponggos. Eve emerged shortly behind them with a bright smile on her face.

"Eve," I called out to her. "I'm glad you made it out okay."

"I feel the same joy for your safe escape," she said, making her way over to us.

At least with Eve here the tension between me and Chung won't be as high.

"You could only find two?" Chung piped in coolly.

Eve bobbed her head," I was hoping to find more survivors," she frowned. "But I suppose saving two lives is more than enough."

"You two did all you could. Don't beat yourselves over a small finding." Eve's eyes brightened at Chung's comment. "Good job, to the both of you."

"You must be very tired to be this nice," I teased. "You should lose more sleep, I like the sleepy nice Chung more."

I don't know if Chung is comfortable talking to me after _that, _but I don't want us to keep up the awkward tension. The least I can do is loosen things up around us.

He frowned," I take that back my good job to you." He said, punching me on the arm. "You did a terrible job."

"You jerk," I stuck my tongue out.

"Well aren't you mature?" He laughed.

Well it looks like he seems a bit more comfortable talking to me again. I hope we can keep this up.

"Okay everyone listen up!" Elsword's booming voice instantly ended our conversation.

Chung and I exchanged annoyed looks before turning our attention to him. Most of the Ponggos also had eyes on him while others focused their attention on their family.

"I have spoken with your chief and we have decided to go to your hideout." Groans erupted from the crowd at the news. Elsword held up his hand, instantly quieting the crowd. "I understand the hike to this hideout is far, but we must get to it if you value your lives."

"But we have injured villagers here." One of the Ponggos spoke up.

"My father has a broken leg." Another joined in.

"My children aren't able to hike that far."

Like a chain reaction the Ponggos began voicing their concerns all at once. Their complaints and worries blended into one chaotic noise.

"L-listen!" Elsword yelled, quieting a majority of the crowd. "We will carry anyone who is injured. Children will have to be carried by their parents." Elsword sighed. "A-and I know there's some of you who want us to go back in the village."

He paused for a moment," w-we've searched down there already and we've saved as many villagers as possible. I-I'm sorry if someone you knew isn't here." He quickly swiped his arm across his eyes. "R-right now we need to move. I want everyone to gather their belongings and prepare for departure."

"And no complaining." The chief added with crossed arms. "You can complain after you are in the hideout."

"Villagers you may use this time to prepare for the hike," Elsword waved his hand dismissively. "If you're on my team, come here."

I exchanged glances with Chung before following Eve over to Elsword. Along the way I picked up on pieces of whispered conversations. Most of the villagers were grumbling about our team's inability to help them, while others questioned our strength to protect them.

I wasn't sure if Chung or Eve could hear the conversations as clearly as I could, but I'm sure they both knew what the Ponggos were grumbling about.

Elsword gestured us to close in once we had all gathered. We silently huddled together and waited for our orders," you guys did great out there." Elsword smiled stiffly."I need everyone to endure this until we reach the hideout."

"How far is it?" Aisha asked.

"If we're lucky it will only take us an hour," Elsword replied. "During this hike I need everyone awake and alert. The villager's safety is our top priority. Don't run off by yourself and inform us if a Nasod is spotted. Is that understood?"

We all bobbed our heads.

Elsword smiled and added," I know this may seem hopeless, but just remember you aren't alone. As a group of awesome friends we've always got each other's backs."

"Shall we prepare our leave?" Eve asked.

"Sounds good to me," Elsword said, cracking his knuckles. "Aisha and Eve, I want you girls to lead the group. The Chief will help guide you there."

"We'll get started with the hike right away." Aisha glanced over at Eve. "Are you ready?"

Eve silently bobbed her head in response.

The girls waved us goodbye before meeting up with the chief. The rest of us closed in the circle and awaited our assigned roles," I want everyone else to spread out. Keep a sharp eye out for Nasods."

"Sounds easy enough," Chung yawned. "Is that all?"

Elsword nodded," let's get going team-"

"Wait," Raven interrupted. "Have you guys seen Amos and Agatha anywhere?"

I felt my blood go cold at his question. We were all so focused on rescuing the other villagers that we forgot about the two Ponggos that welcomed us into their home. The siblings weren't just hosts, they were our friends and allies.

"Well? Did you see them?" He repeated, this time with more urgency in his voice. "Did you see them anywhere?"

"Raven, I-" Elsword pinched the bridge of his nose. "I-I don't think they made it out."

"What?" Raven blurted loudly, catching the attention of a few villagers. "What do you mean they didn't make it out?"

Elsword quickly gestured him to be quiet, "dude, not so loud-"

"I could care less if the others hear me." Raven raised his voice. "Just tell me if you saw them."

I covered my hand with my mouth as something from my stomach threatened to make a second appearance.

"I-I didn't see them, alright?" He answered, glancing between Raven and the crowd of Ponggos. "If any of us had we would've saved them."

"You mean there was no sign of them at all?" Raven's hands were both trembling at this point. "Not even a-a corpse?"

"There was no sign of them, okay?" This time Elsword was yelling. "Do you think w-we would just let those kids burn in there?"

Raven jabbed his sword into the ground, nearly piercing into Elsword's feet," n-no they're still alive." He whispered to himself. "T-they're still a chance."

"Raven, they're gone." Chung said sternly. "There's nothing we can do, man."

"You have no evidence to back that up," he snapped, pulling his sword out of the ground. "They could still be alive."

"Raven-"

"I'm going in there," he cut Elsword off. "I need to know what became of them."

"Have you gone nuts?" Elsword took a step toward him. "You can't just run in there hoping you'll find them. You aren't in good condition to go down there anyway."

"You don't understand," he doubled back from Elsword. "I-I need to know if these kids are alive or not. It's the least I can do."

"Dude, don't do this." Elsword took a stiff step forward. "I don't want you to die."

"Sorry, man," Raven smiled apologetically. "I need to do this."

Before Elsword could reply Raven charged toward the burning village, quickly disappearing into the dark entrance way.

Elsword cursed and kicked the ground," I can't believe he just did that." He spoke through clenched teeth. "That guy has lost his mind."

"Elsword, you can't lose your cool now." Chung gestured to the villagers. "You have to stay professional."

Elsword's shoulders stiffened at his response," an injured friend just ran into a burning village." He lowered his voice. "How can I keep my cool, man?"

With one swift movement Chung collided his fist into Elsword's stomach, earning some gasps from the petrified audience," calm down and think of a plan." Chung ordered. "You're the leader of this team."

Elsword's hands clenched into tight fists. I backed away from the guys, fearing they'll break into a fist fight," you're right," he replied, relaxing his fists. "We need a plan to get that guy out."

Wow, who knew a punch to the stomach would be enough to knock some sense back into Elsword? If we could solve every problem with a good knuckle sandwich life would be a lot easier.

"Who are you planning to send?" Chung asked, relaxing his arms.

Elsword ran his hand through his hair," I don't know yet." He muttered. "We'll need someone who can stand the dangers down there."

"I could go," Chung offered. "I think I'm the most rested out of all of us."

"You think I'm gonna send you and your winter jacket down there?" Elsword punched his armoured chest. "I haven't gone crazy y'know."

"It's just a suggestion."

A pretty bad suggestion, in my opinion.

_Perhaps we should try, Ara. _

'I never thought you would offer to volunteer.' I was sure Eun would've wanted us to stay up on the surface, safe from any more fires.

_Unlike the others, we are a team of two. With us Raven will be protected by two team members._

Even if Eun didn't speak up I probably would've volunteered. I knew I had the most advantage out of everyone," I could go." I piped in.

"No," Chung answered almost instantly. "As I was saying-"

"If I go Raven will be protected by the two of us," I cut him off. "Eun and I are a package of two. Raven will get an extra team member to defend him while you guys won't lose too many people."

Elsword rubbed his chin," I don't know, Ara. I don't wanna send you back down there."

"It's fine." I reassured with a smile. "I want to help Raven find Agatha and Amos."

"It's not fine." Chung's hand began to tremble. "You're not in the condition to go back. You realize you could die down there, right?"

"Amos and Agatha is probably dead down there and Raven could be next" I reminded him. "W-we almost lost Raven once today and I doubt we want to lose him a second time."

"Ara-" He began.

"They were allies too," I went on-Chung teared his eyes from me. "W-we need to at least know what became of our friends."

Elsword stepped in between us, with his back facing Chung," I'll allow you to go." He told me slowly. "But you must get Raven out if things turn sour, understood?"

I nodded as butterflies began to flutter in my stomach.

Returning to the village is a dangerous and foolish idea, especially in the fatigued state I was in, but I did have an advantage over everyone else. Staying safely up on the surface would've been a selfish act on my part.

Elsword gave me a toothy grin," we'll leave a trail behind so you can follow us when you get out. Oh, and take my backpack along with you," he slipped his backpack off his shoulders," the Wind Shard might come in handy down there."

"Understood."

He gave me a pat on the shoulder before walking toward the Ponggo crowd, loudly announcing the finalized plan to their departure.

"You really are stupid," Chung spoke in a tone only I could hear. "Elsword is even more stupid for allowing you to go."

"W-we both know I have more power with Eun," I stammered as I swung the heavy backpack over my shoulders. "I-I should catch up to him."

"Wait," he grabbed onto my hand. I felt my face warming at this familiar gesture. "Can you promise me something?"

"W-what?" I sheepishly glanced back at him, I felt my face heating up as my eyes rested on his.

His jaw stiffened and the grip he had around my hand tightened. I knew I should've asked him to speak up, but I couldn't seem to bring myself to say something.

"Promise me you'll bring Raven back." He relaxed the grip the hand on my hand. "A-and please promise me you won't die."

I had to do everything I could to keep my jaw from dropping to the ground. I wasn't expecting Chung to show so much concern over my safety. It would've made sense if he had just left it with Raven, but the fact that he wanted to make sure I wouldn't die left me speechless.

"You promise?"

I snapped out of whatever daze I was stuck in and replied," y-yeah." I gave his hand a light squeeze. "We'll both come back."

He smiled and finally let go of my hand," better not keep him waiting." He chuckled. "Raven gets impatient easily."

I nodded before charging back into the village. I felt regret sinking into my stomach once I made it down the steps and back into the village. It seemed even more hot than before, more buildings were infected by the hungry flame while others had collapsed from the damage.

I took a deep breath in and began running through the ablaze streets, straining my ears to pick up on any signs of life.

_Perhaps Raven is back at the Ponggos' house. _Eun theorized. _It is the most logical place to search first. _

'That's a good place to start.' I replied. 'Let's hurry; who knows how long we've got down here?'

I picked up my pace as Eun shared its power with me. We hurried through the narrow pathway, with our attention locked on the target ahead. There didn't appear to be any Nasods left, and if there were, we were lucky enough to not bump into them.

I came to a quick halt as a familiar house quickly came into view. Much like the other houses surrounding it, the small building was engulfed in merciless flames. Some of its roof had collapsed, allowing the fire to spread to its neighbouring house. A large hole was cut into the entrance of the house with a narrow pathway, free from the famished flames, leading inside.

"Hold on!" I heard a faint voice sound from the inside. "I'll get you out!'

"It's Raven," I blurted to myself. "Raven's inside the house!"


	52. 52

**Seeing three chapters posted in one day fills you with determination! (I apologize to everyone who's sick of hearing that XD)**

Amos' house was slowly being eaten away by the fire. Even from the outside I could still hear the dying creaks his house wheezed out, it was like a warning for me to stay out. Walking inside would literally be like walking into an active oven, but I knew I couldn't just abandon Raven.

Elsword was right when he called Raven stupid.

_Navigating our way in will be a challenge. _Eun warned. _If you wish to enter you must proceed with caution. One wrong move and the fire will get on you._

I tightened my grip around my spear and began my way in. I felt a wave of heat wrapping around me upon entry, almost instantly it became difficult to breath. I gingerly wrapped my arms around myself and proceeded further in. The fire around me crackled loudly, as if it were trying to block Raven's voice from me.

"Just hold on a minute." Raven's voice grew urgent. "I-I'll think of something."

I squinted my eyes as I proceeded down the hall and past the guest room. I felt my clothes sticking to my back as the heat seemed to grow stronger.

A smile crept on my face at the human figure standing in the room ahead," Raven!" I called over the fire. "Raven, I'm here to help you!"

Raven glanced back, his eyes widened on me," you actually came?" He shouted.

I bobbed my head and quickened my pace, he shuffled to the side once I successfully made my way inside. The room was unrecognizable, with flames eating away all the furniture that once stood inside. Parts of the ceiling had fallen down, blocking any further access to the room.

To much of my horror and relief, Agatha and Amos were huddled in a corner barely keeping a safe distance from the fire. Amos was rested in his sister's arms, with a backpack clutched in his hands and a wet cloth shoved in his face. Agatha safely secured him in her arms as she suffered through the effects of the smoke.

"Ara, thank goodness ya' came." Agatha coughed. "I want you to take Amos and get outta here."

Amos weakly reached out for his sister's hand and clutched it. I felt my heart shattering at his unwillingness to leave her behind-in a weird way I could see me and my brother in them. If we were stuck in a situation like this I know Aren would want me to escape to safety, and just like Amos, I wouldn't leave without him.

"We're getting both of you out," Raven shouted-taking the words right out of my mouth.

"You're crazy," Agatha snapped, tightening her grip around her brother. "Just save Amos and leave!"

"Raven, I have the Wind El Shard with me," I quickly added.

"You can use that to get them out, right?"

I turned my back towards him," it's in this backpack, just hurry up and get it out."

Raven instantly dropped his sword and began unzipping the backpack. He dug frantically inside, throwing out scrapes of food and wrappers in the process.

"I found it," he shouted into my ear. "Hold out your hand."

As ordered I lifted my right hand back to him, my fingers tightly closed around the shard once it had dropped into my clammy palm. Almost instantly the shard activated, emitting a heavy aura around the cramped room.

"I need you two to stay very still," I told the siblings as Raven zipped the backpack up. "Whatever you do don't move,"

"What do ya' plan on doing with that?" She asked, with eyes glued on the illuminating Shard.

"T-there's no time to explain," I stammered, holding the Shard out. "Please just trust me on this one."

Agatha's lips tightened together but she didn't voice any further concerns. She readjusted her arms around Amos and tightly shut her eyes, waiting for me to take action.

I took a deep breath in and allowed the shard's power to course through my body. The familiar aura of the Shard encased itself around me as if it were reassuring me of my control of its magic.

_Focus. _Eun whispered softly. _Do not allow the El Shard's power to overpower you. You are in control of it now._

'I understand.'

I exhaled through my mouth and allowed my tensed shoulders to relax. Once I was sure I was calm enough to control the Shard's power, I focused my energy on the siblings. A cool breeze began brewing around us, picking up sparks of light from the flames.

The fire cornering the siblings waved hungrily with the current encircling them, as if they were waiting for me to screw up the rescue. I held my breath as the wind began to lift the Ponggos off the ground, Amos snuggled closer to his sister once they were held in the air.

I slowly guided the siblings out from their corner and toward the narrow path we were on. The current carrying them enraged the flames it passed. The fire stretched dangerously close to the siblings as it was caught briefly by the wind, almost latching onto their fur a couple of times.

I gently lowered them to the ground, once Agatha was safely positioned in between Raven and I, I released them from the wind's hand.

"And we're safe," I sighed, releasing the excess wind to the side-the fire was pushed to further parts of the room as a result.

Agatha squinted her eyes open," w-we're safe?" She looked feverishly around. "I-I can't believe it. Amos, we're safe." She lifted the wet cloth off of her brother's face. "We can leave now."

Amos grinned up at his sister," I'm so happy, sis." His voice came out hoarse. "Sorry for running back to get my stuff-" he squeezed his eyes shut and coughed viciously into his hands.

I can't imagine what damage the fire has done to Amos, his body might throw in the towel if we stay in here any longer.

"Agatha, are you able to walk?" I asked, with the El Shard still tightly held in my hand.

Agatha nodded stiffly," I won't be fast-"

She was cut off as another piece of her ceiling caved in, tightening the already small space we had to stand in.

"We need to get out," Raven shouted over the strengthened fired.

I turned my attention to the hall and felt the last of my hope crash down. The narrow path we had taken before was now littered in debris and fallen ceiling pieces. Saving Amos and Agatha was one thing, but making it out the house in one piece will be a whole new challenge.

"Raven, the path is too dangerous to take." I warned. "There's too much in the way.

Raven cursed loudly," can't you use the El Shard to move the debris aside?"

"It might make the fire spread." I felt a lump forming at the back of my throat. "It'll speed up the collapse of the house."

"S-sis, are we going to die?" Amos began to cry. "I-I don't want to die. I-I'm scared, Agatha."

"W-we'll be fine, bro." Agatha whispered softly to him. "You're not alone, I'll be here with you."

"We have no choice but to move the de-" Raven began to cough. "Just go!"

I held myself back from breaking into tears and followed Raven's order. This risk could cause the fire to spread and grow stronger, but it's the only thing that can possibly help us escape the house.

I focused the Shard's power on the first pile of debris and gingerly pushed it to the side-as predicted the fire seemed to strengthen upon contact with the wind.

"The first set of debris is gone," I coughed into my sleeve. "Let's get going."

We began our way out the cramped room and toward the exit. Despite gaining my energy back from the El Shard, I felt my body growing heavier with each step I took. My heart pounded wildly as it became very difficult to take in air. I tried breathing through both my mouth and nose but I could never take in a sufficient amount of oxygen.

I could see the last bit of debris blocking our path to freedom, but I knew my body wouldn't allow me to go any further. I've exhausted the last bit of strength in this heat wave, not even the El Shard's magic could keep me standing.

_You are only a few steps away from the exit! _Eun screamed. _Do not give up, Ara. _

'I don't know how long I can keep this up. Eun, I'm scared that I might not make it out.' The amber house began to grow fuzzy; it's only a matter of time before I pass out.

I knew walking in here would be dangerous-stupid to say the least, but I still had some hope that we could make it out in one piece. I thought having Eun's extra help would reassure our escape, I should've known better than to think that.

_Ara, do not allow yourself to give up._ _I know you have the strength to make it through the last bit of debris. Do not let you friends down, and do not let my hard work go to waste. _

'Eun-'

_If you die here you will never know what became of your brother. _

Eun's words was like a slap to the face, snapping me back to reality. At this point I knew continuing forward would only drain me further, but I also knew it would bring me closer to finding my brother. That was enough to keep me standing for just a moment longer.

I focused the Shard's energy on the last of the debris. It's magic came together into a single focal point before firing toward the exit and knocking the last bit of debris out the house.

"I-I did it..." I smiled to myself and allowed my legs to cave in.

"Ara," I heard Raven calling from behind.

"She collapsed." Agatha cried.

Heavy footsteps sounded towards me," Ara, what happened?" I felt Raven's arm wrap around me. "Are you okay? Come on say something to me."

"I'm fine," I wheezed. "Just feeling weak...and having a hard time breathing."

"You'll be okay," he gave my arm a tight squeeze. "I'll help you get out of here."

"Thank you..." I whispered.

"Agatha, get out of the house first." Raven ordered. "Don't worry about us, we'll be able to help ourselves out."

Agatha's quick footsteps hurried past us and out the house. It put my heart to ease knowing the siblings won't be trapped in the house anymore.

"Can you get up?" Raven asked hastily.

"I-I think so."

I gingerly helped myself back up to my feet, almost instantly my vision was filled with stars upon standing. Raven pulled me close to him as I began to lose balance," careful," He snapped.

"Sorry," I coughed viciously.

He sighed and took a step forward," just hold on to me. I'll get us out of here."

The ceiling behind us collapsed, weakening the remainder of the house further. It's only a matter of time before the entire building caves in on us.

"Raven," I whimpered, glancing back at the blazing trail behind us.

"Don't look back," he grunted. "We're almost there just keep going."

It was a lie, I knew he was only trying to make me feel better. The creaking around the house grew uncomfortably loud, like an animal letting out its final cry before death. If Raven doesn't speed up his walking pace we'll be crushed in a matter of minutes.

"Raven, the house is going to collapse," I warned with tears burning my eyes. "We won't make it at the rate."

"I know," he stopped abruptly in his tracks. "Forgive me for this."

Just as I thought he was going to leave me behind, he swept me off the ground and began charging toward the exit, ignoring the hungry hands of the merciless fire. I couldn't hold myself back from smiling the moment he ran out of the house, finally freeing us from our burning prison.

The remainder of the ceiling gave in behind us a few moments later. We really could've died if Raven hadn't carried me out of there.

"They made it out," Amos cheered as he tried to scramble out of his sister's arms. "Agatha, look they made it."

"I know," Agatha coughed. "Please stay still, Amos, you're unwell."

"So are Raven and Ara," he defended. "Come on, sis, we care about them too."

"I could never care about him." She muttered.

"Sis," Amos coughed. "Don't be a meanie."

"I'm glad I came back for them," I could barely hear Raven whisper.

"Yeah, I guess you were right," I squirmed in his arms, indicating to him I wanted to be put down.

He gently lowered my feet to the ground, but kept a strong arm on me as I regained my footing," I shouldn't feel so good about saving them. There's still a lot I still have to repay them." He muttered.

"Raven, I know there's still a lot I don't know about you," I replied-resting my weight on him. "And I know there's a lot i don't understand, but I think you should feel proud of yourself. This was a first step for you to face your past and-"

I was interrupted by a vicious cough. The additional heat and lack of fresh air only made it worse.

"We need to get out of here," he readjusted his arm around me. "Agatha, Amos, we need to get moving."

"Coming," Amos chimed from the back.

"Amos, slow down," Agatha scolded. "You'll hurt yourself."

Much like the house we had just escaped from, much of the village's streets were blocked by burning remains of fallen buildings. We couldn't afford to look for an alternate route to escape, thus we were forced to use the El Shard to clear the path once again.

Amos' cough grew worse as we proceeded further through the village. Agatha began yelling at us to quicken our pace, but we couldn't push our pace any further. Not only is it dangerous to run blindly through a village with buildings ready to collapse on us, but we still had enemy Nasods to worry about. It was unlikely a Nasod would still be lingering through the remains of the village, but we could never be too careful.

"We're almost out," Raven called over the flames. "I recognize some of these buildings."

"I don't care what ya' have to do, just hurry and get us out," Agatha ordered sternly behind us. "My little brother is getting worse."

"We can't go any faster," Raven answered; he took a quick glance behind him. "We could easily run into the path of a falling building or a Nasod."

"We'll make sure your brother makes it out alive," I added weakly. "I promise we won't fail you."

"Come on, sis." Amos piped in-probably with a warm smile. "I'm not a baby anymore."

"You're still a baby to me," her reply made Amos go on an instant rant about how grown up he's become.

While the siblings debated on Amos' status, Raven and I kept our eyes peeled for any last minute threats. The exit was in sight now, we only had a few more steps before we could safely escape the remainder of this village.

"Wait," Raven came to a sudden stop. This caused the two siblings to quiet down almost instantly.

"What's wrong?" I whispered into his ear.

"I-I thought I heard something." He stammered.

"Could it be another villager?" I asked.

"I don't know," he replied, with eyes looking feverishly around.

I strained my ears out for any extra cries for help, but my attempt proved to be useless as the fire drained out any other external sounds. My heightened senses quickly proved themselves useless under my fatigued condition-I guess I can't rely on Eun for everything.

The sound of debris being kicked to the side quickly caught my attention. I glanced over at Raven, he was as pale as a ghost at this point.

"It might be a Nasod." He warned lowly. "I can't tell where it's coming from though."

"Or it could be a villager making their way out," I pointed out.

"Whatever it is we need to know where it's coming from." His shoulders grew stiff as the noise sounded once again.

I grinded my teeth in frustration. Normally I cold easily pick up the location of the sound, but the fire has proved to be a very difficult obstacle for me and Raven.

I might've overestimated my senses and abilities, I didn't think there would be anything to outwit Eun and I. Maybe if someone else went after Raven they would be able to handle this situation better.

_I am much to blame as well. Ara, I was the one who had pointed out our advantage over the others. If I had not mentioned such an idea this would have never happened. _

'I would've thought that regardless of you mentioning it, Eun.' I admitted grimly. 'I'm sorry for being so reckless.'

_Regardless of who is wrong, we need to locate the sound. We can discuss this topic later. _

I pulled my attention away from Eun and focused it on our surrounding. The fire roared angrily in my ears like it was deliberately blocking out any extra sounds around us.

I held my breath as the noise sounded once again, this time louder. Whoever was moving toward us was no longer shielded by the fire, they were too close for me to pinpoint their location.

"Behind us," I screamed, turning both Raven and I around.

I felt my heart dropping to my stomach at the sight of a hovering Nasod. The Nasod was exactly like the factory workers we had bumped into earlier today, with a single blue eye in the centre and a set of blades sticking out from its side.

With a blink of an eye the Nasod sprung into action, charging toward us with spinning blades. Under normal conditions we would've countered the Nasod with a snap of a finger, its linear path made it open to any of our attacks. Unfortunately the Nasod knew better than to charge blindly toward us. It abruptly changed its path and headed straight towards Amos, its blades thirsty for his blood.

I opened my mouth to warn him about the approaching enemy, but I knew it would be useless. The Nasod would cut through him before he could properly react.

Our horrified expressions must have given the siblings enough clues of what was going to take place. Agatha cursed under her breath while Amos screamed at us to tell him what was wrong.

Like a scene out of a movie, Agatha launched to the side, pushing her brother safely away from the Nasod's path. Agatha howled in pain as the Nasod made contact with her body, its spinning blades slicing deep into her flesh.

I felt the warm salty tears trickle down my cheeks as Agatha fell limply onto her side. Satisfied with its kill, the Nasod stopped its pursue-all four blades were now coated in the Ponggo's blood.

Almost instantly a gut wrenching scent tainted the air. I couldn't hold my legs up anymore and allowed myself to collapse on the ground-Raven didn't bother keeping me up.

"Sis," Amos cried from the sidelines. He attempted to get back to his feet, but his legs wouldn't allow him to stand for more than a second. "What did you do to my sister?!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

His scream caught the Nasod's attention again, its blades stared spinning as it began charging toward Amos. I cried out for the Nasod to leave him alone-not that it would've made much of a difference.

"Stay away from the kid," Raven jumped into action. With one swift move he collided his sword with the Nasod, knocking the Nasod back from its target. "I swear you'll pay for hurting those kids!"

Raven surrounded himself in a blazing aura before attacking the Nasod once again-this time he successfully sliced it into two, but that alone was not enough to satisfy his rage. I watched in horror as he kept slicing the already fallen Nasod, cutting up into smaller pieces.

"S-sis," Amos cried. "Sis, please wake up."

I reluctantly turned my attention to Amos. He had given up on his legs and was crawling toward his sister with tears running down his eyes.

Agatha's arm twitched," A-Amos." I heard her reply.

Amos' eyes lightened at her response," sis, you're okay." He scrambled toward his sister with a childish grin on his face. "I-I was so scared back there, sis."

"Amos, don't get any closer." Agatha snapped, stopping her brother in his tracks.

"W-what?" He stared wide eyed at his sister. "Why?"

Agatha chuckled," y-you'll get your fur dirty." She responded. "Blood is hard to wash off..."

"I don't care, Agatha, I-I just want to be with you." Amos crawled the remainder of the way to his sister and embraced her in a hug. I felt my heart shattering into pieces at the sight of his blood stained palms.

"Ara," Agatha wheezed. "Please...turn me on my...back."

I'll be honest, I didn't want to go near Agatha. Not because I didn't want to see the blood spilled beside her, but because I didn't want to be reassured of her death. I knew if I saw her injuries I would know her fate immediately. At least from a distance I could pretend the injuries weren't all that bad.

I held my breath and shuffled myself beside her, the simple sight of her blood on the ground made me want to vomit.

"Amos...please allow Ara to turn me over..."

Amos nodded stiffly and let go of his sister.

"T-this might hurt a bit," I told her softly. "Please b-bear with me."

I shakily placed my hands on her and began to roll her over, my body stiffened as she grunted in pain from the simple movement. Not wanting her to endure any more pain I hastily placed her on her back.

My stomach turned uncomfortably at the crimson gash rested diagonally on her chest. Each heavy breath she took caused more blood to ooze out, nearly staining the entirety of her fur.

"T-thanks..." she smiled up at me with tears in her eyes. "I...appreciate the help."

"Are you comfortable now, sis?" Amos coughed into his arm.

"Yeah... I feel much better now." She grinned warmly at her brother.

I knew her request wasn't because she was feeling uncomfortable laying on her side, she would still feel the unimaginable pain regardless of her position. I had a feeling this was a passive way to tell me she won't be escaping the village with us. She wanted me to take Amos up to the surface, no matter how much he protested against it.

"I-I understand," I began to cry.

"That's good to hear..." Agatha gave me a toothy grin. "I'm...countin' on ya'"

"Sis, what are you talking about?" Amos gingerly wrapped his arms around her. "Please tell me."

"Amos," she began weakly. "I...I want you to know I'll always be with you. Even if you don't think I am."

"What do you mean?" Amos hiccuped. "Why are you saying this?"

Raven's sword made contact with the Nasod remains one last time before going silent.

"Amos...I need to go somewhere...after this." The tears building up in her eyes began to fall. "B-but don't worry, bro...I'm going to a very safe place."

"But I don't want you to go," Amos buried his face into his sister's shoulder. "I-I want you to stay with me, sis. P-please don't go."

"Amos, think of it as a long vacation-"

"Stop treating me like a little kid, sis!" Amos screamed with trembling shoulders. "I-I know you're trying to tell me that you're dying. I-I know you aren't g-going on a vacation."

Agatha weakly wrapped her closest arm around him," I can't hide anything...from you, can I?" She kissed the top of his head. "I...love you, Amos. You have no idea...how happy I am for you...you don't know how happy it makes me...to know that you'll have a future."

"Take me with you," Amos cried. "D-don't leave m-me alone. I-I promise I'll sleep through t-the whole night. I-I promise to not sneak out anymore; I-I can even stop being m-making dangerous potions-I'll do anything."

Raven sat himself down beside me, with his head bowed and eyes closed.

"P-please, sis, take m-me with you."

"Amos," Agatha rubbed her brothers back gently. "I don't want you to stop your...nerdy love for alchemy...I want you to keep up the nerdy work...I know you can out-nerd our Pa'."

Amos broke into sobs. Agatha kissed him one more time on the head and turned her attention to Raven, with eyes no longer deprived of hatred.

"Raven, was it?" Raven raised his head at the sound of his name. "Look, dude...I'm sorry 'bout our rough start...I thought you were the same rotten killer years ago..."

Raven's jaw tightened," I-I haven't changed all that much." He answered stiffly. "I'm sorry-"

"Sorry won't bring 'em back..." Agatha cut him off. "And sorry won't help me..."

"You've made some good friends..." she gestured her head to me. "People like her are a keeper...I know these people can help ya'...so far you seem to be doing quite good."

"But-"

"Thank you...for saving him." She went on. "If it's not too much...can you look after my little brother? I-I know it's a lot to put on ya'...but it would mean the world to me...if he grew up with a group of people...like your team."

"Y-you trust me enough with him?" Raven began choking up. I wrapped my arm around him, hoping it'll be enough to comfort him.

Agatha nodded," if you screw up...I know your friends would never let you...see sunrise again."

"I-I swear I'll protect him," he wiped his damp eyes on his sleeve. "I-I swear on my life I'll take care of him."

"Thank you...so much..." Her eye lids began to lower. "Amos...it's time to get outta here...it's time to live your own life."

"Don't go," Amos pleaded, burying his face deeper in her shoulder. "P-please, sis, I love you. I-I can't lose you."

"I love ya' too, nerd..." Her arm around Amos began slipping. "I'll put in...a good word for ya'...to Ma' and Pa'."

Agatha's eyes closed and her arm slipped limply off of Amos. I had to tear my eyes away as Amos pleaded for her to wake up, screaming for her to stay with him.

I don't know what made this situation worse, the fact that we failed to protect the siblings or the fact that we let Amos down. He was the only one who was rooting for our team-despite his sister's dislike for some of our team members, and yet we allowed his sister to be killed by a Nasod.

We make a pretty bad team.

"C'mon," Raven helped himself to his feet. "It's time for us to go."

"No, we can't leave my sister alone," Amos screamed. "She'll be so lonely here. A-as her brother I need to stay with her."

"Agatha..."Raven hesitated. "Agatha isn't here anymore-"

"You're wrong," Amos perked his head up, glaring icily at Raven. "She's right here. I'll stay here with her until she wakes up."

"You're a smart kid, Amos," Raven paused for a moment. "You knew she was going to die, and we both know there's no coming back."

Amos bowed his head," s-stop it." He cried. "Please stop it."

"Your sister wouldn't want you to be like this," Raven went on urgently. "I know it's hard, kid, but you can't trick yourself into thinking she'll return."

"Stop talking!" Amos covered his ears with his hands. "Leave me alone!"

"Amos, we need to go," I piped in-drying my eyes on my sleeves. "Please don't put Agatha's sacrifice to waste."

Amos kept his hands over his ears and began screaming-Raven and I tried everything to calm him down but he refused to listen to us. He was quickly losing his voice and we both knew we couldn't afford to stay down there any longer.

We had no choice but to pry Amos away from Agatha's body-when I say 'we' I meant Raven. I didn't have the heart to force Amos away from his sister. He trashed wildly in Raven's grip but his efforts was not enough to free himself.

We bade Agatha one last good bye before returning with the surface with Amos still screaming at us to let him be with his sister.

**The song to this chapter is Wherever You Will Go - Charlene Soraia **


	53. 53

The first thing we noticed when we got out was a melting ice structure-it was most likely left behind by Aisha telling us to find more of those structures. Without any exchange of words we began forward-I could easily see the line of ice structures laid out ahead of us.

The moon was brightly illuminating the Altera surface, allowing Raven to navigate the grassy plains easily in the dark. Amos eventually grew tired of screaming and fell asleep in Raven's arms, leaving us in unbearable silence. The air loomed ominously around us as our feet dragged against the damp evening grass. I felt like passing out on the spot but I knew I had to keep my guard up. We couldn't afford to lose Amos, not after the promise we made with Agatha.

I hope Amos stays asleep until the morning, I thought grimly. Right now sleep is his best escape from grief.

"Hey," Raven spoke quietly. "Thank you for the help back there. I would've lost of them if you weren't there."

"No problem," I replied with eyes glued forward. "Uh, you really went to town on that Nasod back there."

"Yeah," he sighed. "I'm sorry if it freaked you out."

I shrugged," it's no big deal. I can understand your rage."

"You gonna put that thing away?" He asked. "It's dangerous to carry it out in the open."

I looked down at the Elshard still clamped tightly in my clammy hand. I could still feel some of its power running through me," it's fine." I said nonchalantly. "Besides, we can use it as a weapon if we get jumped."

"Hopefully we don't get jumped-" he paused as Amos began stirring in his sleep-my chest ached as he mumbled his sister's name.

"Poor kid," Raven whispered. "He lost his parents and his sister. I can't imagine what that's like."

He's sort of on the same boat as me. The only difference is not everyone in his village is dead and he knows what happened to his sister.

"So what are you going to do now?" I asked. "Do you really think you can take care of him?"

"I don't know," he answered. "I don't think Elsword would mind us adopting him but I doubt Lowe will think the same way. Our team isn't exactly fit to raise a kid."

"But you promised to take care of him," I protested. "And Agatha sounded like she wanted us to take him in."

"I-I know," he answered. "Agatha probably saw our team as a good family for him, but we're not fit to be his guardians. He could end up dead with us."

I opened my mouth to reply but I couldn't bring myself to respond as a sudden feeling of dread dropped in my stomach. It felt like something was watching us, listening on our conversation. I had to force myself to stop walking as my heart rate rose drastically and my head began to pound.

"What's wrong?" Raven asked urgently. "Did you hear something nearby?"

"N-no," I stammered-I felt my legs trembling beneath me. "I-I feel really scared."

"What?"

I ran my hand through my hair," I-I don't why, but I feel really scared right now."

He cursed under his breath," just calm down and tell me why you're scared."

"I told you I don't know why," I snapped, nearly waking Amos up. "I-I suddenly felt l-like something was watching us." I added more quietly this time.

"Something?"

"L-look I can't explain it but I know something is wrong," I felt my eyes burning. "E-Eun, what's wrong? What's happening to me?"

_It is the magic lingering nearby. _Eun growled. _Perhaps this is the unknown presence Aisha felt before._

Now that I think about it, Aisha did mention something about sensing an unknown presence up here. If this is the exact same presence she felt while exploring the surface we may be in a bit of trouble-especially now that we've exhausted ourselves.

"I-I'm going to go ahead," I offered. "If anything jumps out at you use this." I held out the Elshard to him.

"Are you crazy? What if you get killed by what ever is out there?" He asked through clenched teeth.

"Right now you're more valuable than me," I said, forcefully wrapping his fingers around the El Shard. "Your number one priority right now is to protect Amos. I'll help by playing as bait."

"I don't know how to use this thing," he added urgently. "W-what if I screw up?"

"I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out," I reassured with a smile. "J-just stay here and wait. If I don't return in ten minutes leave." I locked eyes with him. "Understood?"

He opened his mouth to protest but snapped it back shut once he realized there was no winning in the argument. He tightened his lips together to hold back any lingering opposition and bobbed his head. I gave him a reassuring pat on the back before heading forward.

You know that moment when you do something (something that you thought was really smart at the time) but you instantly regret it a minute later? That was what it felt like to move forward by myself.

Even if I had Eun by my side I knew I couldn't solely rely on Eun, our repeated failures to protect the villagers and our friends proved our combined strength wasn't enough. Eun could successfully give me a boost in combat, but its power alone is not enough to secure the survival and safety of myself and others.

Unfortunately for me, it didn't take very long for me to bump into the culprit behind the dreadful aura. After a couple minutes of walking they came into view, they had their back towards me and it didn't seem like they were moving. From a distance I could make out their long black cloak, which covered them from head to toe. It was impossible to make out any further details.

I stopped in my tracks and observed them from a distance. They either couldn't sense my presence or they didn't care if I was there, they kept their back on me as they stared off into space. After I was sure they wouldn't come charging at me I began my way toward them.

The small voice at the back of my head began screaming at me to turn around. This person didn't seem to care or even notice our presence, so why bother getting closer to them? The safe move would be to turn around and look for an alternate path-but I was already too far into this to be backing out now.

I heard my heart beating my my ears. Each step made my legs grow weaker; my body grew colder as we inched closer to them. I swallowed and shakily pointed my spear at them. I wasn't sure if I should attack them or talk to them. They didn't seem to be harmful but I couldn't risk putting myself in any further danger.

"What a beautiful night," they spoke abruptly. I screamed and dropped my spear-there goes my idea of being sneaky.

Like me they jumped in surprise. My hands instinctively formed into tight fists as they turned around to face me. The shadow of their hood hid a majority of their face, I could only make out a scarlet red eye and a few strands of red bangs sticking out from the cloak.

"My goodness you scared me," she said, relaxing her tensed shoulders.

I refrained myself from answering and kept my eyes on her. She didn't comment at my lack of response and began to study me, my stomach turned uncomfortably as her eyes trailed curiously on me. I tightened my fists and braced myself for a sudden attack.

Her eyes travelled down to my fallen spear," oh, you dropped something." She pointed to the ground.

I would be crazy if I willingly let my guard down to pick it back it," it's fine where it is." I answered.

She shrugged and gazed up at the sky," I love the night." She said with a smile. "The sky is so boring during the day."

"I-I guess," I weakened my clenched fists at her response. "Who are you?"

"I'm a traveller," she averted her attention back to me-shivers ran down my spine as her eyes locked with mine. "A traveller who's heard of many strange things."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked skeptically. "And how did you end up here?"

It's not like Altera is as easy to access as Bethma or Elder. She would've needed a tremendous amount of magic to fly herself up here. It's a miracle she could even stand up if she actually exerted that much magic.

"I have a bad habit of snooping," she began. "To keep things short, an angry little girl and her..." she scratched her cheek. "The girl and her _guardian _attacked me after eavesdropping on their plan. I knew of this island before but never had the chance to explore it. I figured it would be a good hide out so I used the last of my magic to get up here."

"You used magic?" I raised my brow. I can't imagine the recovery process she had to go through afterwards. The healing process would have to be prolonged thanks to the presence of hostile Nasods.

She giggled," I use a different type of magic, one not many mages are familiar with."

That might explain the strange aura she gives off. If her magic was that uncommon it would make sense for it to make us feel uncomfortable.

"Enough about me," she took a step closer. "Tell me about yourself. What are you doing on this lonely little island?"

"I'm here with a Red Knight party," I answered sheepishly. "I, uh, came here for a mission."

"That sounds so much fun," she clapped her hands excitedly. "I heard Red Knights get to go to all sorts of places and fight all sorts of enemies. Is that true?"

"Y-yeah," I took a step away from her. "I guess we've had our share fair of fights."

It's funny how her enthusiasm about the Red Knight party reflects my own. I bet she would make an excellent team member, especially with that attitude toward us. Maybe that's the same reason why Elsword was so willing to let me join. If he was the one to meet her I'm sure he would've recruited her on the spot.

"How wonderful," she chimed. "You get to fight bad guys and go exploring. That's like a dream come true."

I'll admit it, the adventures we had were pretty awesome-if you take out all the times we almost died or lost someone.

"Oh I'm so sorry," she took a couple steps back. "I must seem so nosy to you. It's a bad habit I really need to change."

"It's alright," I smiled, allowing my fists to drop. "I can understand your excitement toward the Red Knight party. I was in the exact same position as you."

"Oh stop lying," she laughed. "I know you're feeling awkward from my fan-girling."

"I'm not-"

"Well I shouldn't keep you from doing your job," she cut me off. "I should be going as well. The outside is dangerous at night."

"You could tag along with us," I suggested-I knew this was a dangerous decision but she didn't seem like a bad person. Leaving her out here alone could put her life in serious danger."The Nasods have gotten more dangerous lately."

"Don't worry about me, I'm more than capable of taking care of myself." She announced proudly. "Travelling alone has taught this young lady a lot about self defence."

Even if you are skilled in combat it would still be dangerous to go against a group of angry Nasods alone.

"Please don't freight over my safety. I may be nosy, and a bit crazy, but I'm not stupid," she held out her hand for a handshake. "If you continue travelling with your party I am certain we will cross paths again, but until then I wish you the best of luck on this mission."

"I wish you luck on your travels," I took her hand; they were abnormally cold, but that should be expected during this time of day. "My name is Ara, and you are?"

"That's a good question," she laughed-letting go of my hand. "I haven't been addressed by my name for so long I've seem to have forgotten."

She has to be joking, right? There's no way she could've forgotten her name.

"You're the first person I've properly spoken with since..." she paused. "I can't even remember the last time I've spoken to someone like this."

That's a little strange, to say the least. It's impossible for someone to forget their name, even if they've lacked human contact for a long period of time. Then again, this person was a little strange to begin with so I shouldn't be too surprised.

"Oh," I glanced awkwardly to the side. "So what do you want me to call you?"

"Whatever you want," she bounced excitedly. "I just want to be addressed by a name."

Now this is something I never thought I would be doing. When I came here I expected her to threaten me or even attack me, instead I'm stuck trying to name her.

"Uhh, how does the name Scarlet sound?" I braced myself for an instant rejection.

She rubbed her chin thoughtfully for a second," it's a lovely name, but why Scarlet?" She asked.

"Um, because of your eyes and your hair." I explained. "I can change it if you don't like it."

Her eyes widened," you must have very good eyes. I can barely tell what colour your eyes are in this lighting."

When you have heightened senses it doesn't take much effort to spot things out in the dark.

"Scarlet sounds like a wonderful name," she grinned widely. "Anyways I should get going now. I hope to see you soon, Ara."

"Take care, Scarlet."

She waved me good bye and took off into the distance. I kept an eye on her until she was completely out of sight-she seemed like a genuinely nice person, but I had to make sure she wouldn't sneak up behind me. Once I knew she was gone I breathed a sigh of relief and picked my spear back up.

"What was that all about?" I thought out loud.

_She is strange. _Eun piped in. _A charming girl if I do say so myself. _

"She reminds me of myself," I laughed. "I was just like her before joining the team."

_I suppose you have a point but I do not trust her. There is something about her that unsettles me. _

"I think you're just a bit bothered by her boundless energy." I said as I began my way back to Raven. "I'm sure you'll get used it once we get to know her better."

_It is not that simple, Ara. I do not mind her enthusiasm toward your team; in fact, it is very entertaining to see her interest in it. However, there is something about her that makes me feel uneasy. Ara, I would highly suggest keeping your distance from her until we gather more information about her. _

I could understand why Eun would feel so uneasy toward her, she does give off a very strange aura, but if she was dangerous why didn't she just kill us on the spot? I had my guard down during our conversation, so why didn't she attack me then? Wouldn't it have been easier to kill me on the spot than to slowly build my trust and then killing me? And I doubt it was because she wanted to follow me to the others, there's no way she didn't see them walking by earlier.

"Eun, you might just be overthinking this." I frowned. "You're probably just shaken up by today."

_Perhaps, but until we know more about her I refuse view her as a friend._

* * *

Raven and I exchanged a very awkward conversation once I returned. He bombarded me with an endless wave of questions while I struggled to give him an honest answer. I told him about the strange person I ran into but I didn't go into details on our conversation. He was fairly distressed at the new knowledge of the mysterious traveller, but how can you blame him? We didn't have a clue as to who this person is and what their real intentions were. For all we know, they could another threat to Altera-as if the Nasods alone weren't enough. I kept my mouth shut about trusting her, knowing he'll go on about me being too trusting of strangers, but he would say the same thing if he had met her. She was a very sweet person who just wanted to travel and had an interest in the Red Knight party-like me.

Our discussion on the mysterious visitor eventually came to a stop and we both agreed to keep quiet about this until we knew more about her. Raven returned the El Shard back into Elsword's bag before continuing further down the path.

It took us another half hour before reaching the hideout. The Ponggo hideout was breath taking, to say the least. It was hidden along a narrow path stretching down from a cliff side, one wrong step and we would've fallen off the island. The hide out itself was an open cave, a large opening faced out to the bottom layers of the island-it opened up to a dome-like structured situated at the bottom of the island. The structure gave off a blue tint in the darkened cave, it was the only source of light. Two waterfalls, which stemmed from the two rivers flowing above, covered two opposing sides of the cave. Unfortunately the presence of the water made the cave a damp and cold camp, almost all of its rocky ground was soaked from the many stray water droplets.

Our friends had set themselves up near the entrance of the cave while the Ponggos were set up at the other side, both sides were successfully hidden from the structure's view thanks to the waterfalls. This divide struck me as odd but that alone wasn't enough to snap the sleep out of my eyes. Along side our friends were Nasods-the old and rusted ones.

The Nasods didn't seem hostile, if anything they appeared to be allies. The Nasods sat peacefully alongside with them while others spoke to the Queen quietly on the side.

"What is going on?" Raven blurted, catching the attention of our team and their guests-everyone but Chung who was asleep.

"Thank goodness you're okay," Aisha jumped to her feet and tackled me with a bear hug. "We were all so worried."

"Uh, yeah," I awkwardly returned the hug. "Umm, will anyone fill us in on what's going on here?"

"It's a long story," Elsword sighed. "We can talk about it later."

Aisha released me from my hug and turned her head at Raven. He bowed his head as she locked eyes on Amos, who was still peacefully sleeping in his arms," wow, I can't believe he's alive." She backed away and perked her head curiously to Raven's side. "I'm surprised Agatha let you carry him."

I swallowed the familiar lump forming at the back of my throat. I knew they were going to ask about her but I didn't think the subject would come up so quickly.

"Man, it's really dark in here," she said, rubbing her eyes. "I can hardly see you Agatha."

"Aisha," Raven began reluctantly. "Agatha...she's uh..."

"She didn't make it out." I finished. A long pause settled in the crowd, even the Nasods (who don't even know who she is) seemed shock at the news.

"A Nasod snuck up on us and attacked," he elaborated. "It changed its path last minute and targeted Amos. Agatha was quick to react and took her brother's place."

Someone in the crowd cursed.

"The poor kid watched as she lived her final moments." He concluded grimly.

"Oh my goodness," Aisha gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "T-that was his last family member too."

"I know," Raven sniffed. "We failed to protect her."

"I can't believe it," Elsword rested his head on his hands. "This can't be happening."

The Nasods surrounding them bowed their heads, shamefully almost. I wanted to throw every last of them off the island. I didn't care if they had no involvement in the attack, they were Nasods in the end, and they could easily be tricking my friends into believing they are allies.

_It's that mind set that causes bitterness between humans and Nasods. _Eun scolded. _I understand your rage but I would advise abandoning that view as soon as possible. Much like humans and demons, Nasods are not completely evil. There are innocent Nasods among the group and you must not let your hate turn against the innocent. _

'You're right, Eun. If Mother was here she would've lectured me on the same thing.' But it's so hard to remind myself that not all Nasods are evil, especially after what we've been through.

Amos stirred in his sleep, but this time he didn't stay asleep. He blinked his eyes open and studied his surroundings, he fell into a blind panic almost in an instant," where am I? How did I get here? Where's my sister?" He started thrashing in Raven's arms.

"Amos," Aisha approached the hysteric child. "Calm down, you're in a safe place now."

"Let me go!" He collided his tiny fists into Raven's chest but that alone wasn't enough to free him. "Agatha, help me! Please help me!"

"Keep your voice down, Amos." Elsword piped in. "You might give our position away."

"Agatha, please help me," he began to cry-his punches began weakening. "I-I'm stuck in a nightmare and I can't wake up. C'mon, sis, don't leave me alone."

"Amos," Raven lowered his voice. "She's gone."

Amos shook his head," no, I know she's still here. S-she's just playing a mean prank on me."

"Kid, stop fooling yourself."

"This isn't funny anymore, sis." He clutched onto Raven's jacket and began to bawl. No one said a word as he broke down in Raven's arms.

"I'm going to be outside," Raven announced quietly. "I wanna have a talk with the kid."

"Just stay safe out there," Elsword ordered. "Please stay safe."

Raven bobbed his head and began his way out. I could hear him whispering an apology to Amos, that only made the poor kid cry more.

I settled myself in with my friends and warmed up a bit with some hot water. Elsword dived into the explanation of the Nasods as I was warming up.

Apparently these Nasods were already at the hideout when they arrived. They pleaded for mercy before they could attack. When asked why they were here, the Nasods told them they were the few that freed themselves from the Revolution.

The Revolution was basically the start of a newer and better Nasod generation. The King Nasod knew of our presence and had begun to build his new army, an army of new Nasods models that were more efficient in combat; however, that meant the older models were to be scrapped and thrown away. Many of the old Nasod agreed to be destroyed as it was viewed as an "honour" to make more room for the newer models, others refused to let the King end their lives. They proposed to be upgraded instead of being scrapped, but the King viewed it as a tedious and long process. As a result, those who didn't want to be scrapped turned their loyalty away from the King and fled from his servants. Like us, they were now seen as enemies.

Elsword (who used his brain for once) proceeded to question them about the El Shard. The Nasods showed knowledge on its presence. Aisha further asked them about how they obtained the information on the Shard but none of the Nasods could give a concrete answer. Some said the King knew of the power long ago while others stated visitor spoke to the King and a lizard ally about its existence.

It got me wondering about Scarlet and her possible involvement but I decided not to bring her up.

The strange dome-like structure was revealed to be the Nasod Core, home to the Nasod King himself. Elsword didn't go into detail on it and he certainly didn't bring up any plans on attacking it, but I had a feeling we would be visiting the King very soon.

The rebel Nasods also seemed to have taken a liking to Eve. Many of them spoke to her about her plan about retaking the throne while others questioned her about her absence. Eve answered their questions calmly and explained to them her plan to strengthen the Nasod Kingdom once again, accepting both new and old Nasods. Her willingness to keep the old Nasods alive earned her a good amount of supporters while a few skeptics refused to side with her, but that didn't bother Eve anymore.

I shared hushed conversations with Aisha as the night dragged at. At some point Raven returned with Amos, he was in a much calmer state this time. Amos didn't feel comfortable resting with so many Nasods around and insisted on resting on the other side of the cave with the other villagers. Raven walked him over but never returned to our side. I'm guessing Amos didn't want him to leave or Raven wanted to keep an eye on him.

Aisha drifted off to sleep along with Elsword while Eve was given the night watch duty, I tried resting as well but I couldn't seem to fall asleep. After many failed attempts to fall asleep I gave up and offered to take over night watch. Eve was reluctant to have me awake any longer but gave in after much back and forth. Like the others she knocked out nearly minutes after closing her eyes.

I rested my back against the cold rocky wall and tucked my legs into my chest. The night grew colder as time dragged on, how anyone can sleep in the cold like this is beyond me.

"Hey," Chung suddenly whispered. "Who's on night watch?"

"Me," I yawned loudly. "I can stay awake for a bit longer."

"Are you serious?" Chung shot up to a sitting position and squinted his eyes at me. "How long have you been up?"

I shrugged," it doesn't matter."

"Did you sleep at all?" He asked, concern sounded through his voice.

"I tried, but I couldn't fall asleep." I admitted. "It's whatever."

"It's not whatever," he sighed, shaking his head. "Honestly, what are you doing to yourself?"

I opened my mouth to reply but I couldn't think of anything to say. I simply shrugged and pulled my legs closer to my chest.

Chung mutely shuffled over and sat himself down beside me. He wasn't wearing his armour anymore, instead he had a thick blue sweater on and a pair of shorts.

"Really, shorts?" I arched my eyebrow. "Aren't you cold in that?"

"I've felt colder," he leaned against me, my chest tightened as our arms rested comfortably beside each other. "You need to sleep, Ara."

"I know," I answered. "It's just hard to...sleep."

"Do you wanna talk about it?" He offered kindly.

"No," I replied with a sneeze. "Not tonight."

"You're going to catch a cold at this rate." He proceeded to unzip his sweater.

"I'm not that cold-" I let out another sneeze.

"Uh huh, you keep telling yourself that." He pulled his remaining arm out of its sleeve and rested the sweater over me like a blanket-it was surprisingly warm.

"T-thanks," I muttered with warmed cheeks.

"Get some sleep," he snaked his arm around my shoulders, exposing me to more of his warmth. "You'll be putting your health in danger if you don't get any rest."

He had a point and I guess it should be easier to sleep now that it's warmer, but would it really be okay falling asleep like this? What if I start having a nightmare? How will I explain it to him when I start thrashing in my sleep?

"Geez you're stubborn." He gently pushed my head against his shoulder. I would be lying if I said I wasn't screaming mentally to myself. "Look, I don't mind if you sleep like this. I see you as a friend now so this is all cool."

"Whatever floats your boat," I snuggled closer to him and shut my eyes. I really hope I won't be regretting this later on.

"Sweet dreams." He dropped his voice to a whisper.

"Thanks."

I drifted off into a deep sleep that night, and to my liking, I didn't have a single nightmare.

* * *

Waking up the next morning was awkward, to say the least. Aisha started teasing me the moment I opened eyes, Elsword eventually joined in and took her side. I swear my face was beet red from all their teasing while Chung seemed unfazed by their comments. I pleaded them to stop poking fun at me but the duo was obviously having too much fun to let it go. After some time had passed, Eve took pity on me and got them to stop embarrassing me.

I took that chance to walk out of the hiding spot and washed myself off in the river above. The water was cold but I didn't care, all I wanted was to clean myself off and make myself presentable again. Unfortunately I couldn't do anything about my robe, that would have to be washed back at Ruben. After drying myself off with one of Aisha's spare towels and fixing up my hair, I changed back into my clothes and returned to the hide out.

Everyone was sitting in a circle eating some berries someone had found earlier. Elsword and Aisha was in the middle of catching Raven up with the new information, thus I was free from their teasing for the time being.

The rest of us ate our small breakfast in silence as the duo concluded their story. Raven remained silent once all the information was out. I had a sneaking suspicion he wanted to say something about Scarlet but decided to keep quiet about it.

"Sounds interesting," he glanced briefly at me before turning his attention to Elsword again, as if to reassure our promise to keep her a secret. "Nice to know not everyone is fond of the King."

"That doesn't solve our Nasod problem though." Aisha frowned.

"At least we'll have my numbers on our side." Chung pointed out.

There was a moment of silence.

"So how's Amos?" I asked after some time had passed.

"He slept for half an hour," Raven replied. "I tried to get him to sleep but he refused. The kid was playing around with some potions he brought while reading this giant book throughout the night."

It's nice to know he's still determined to work on his alchemy. It would've been horrible if he gave up that passion because of Agatha's death.

"Elsword, what do you plan to do now?" Eve asked, changing the subject. "The Nasod core is right in front of our eyes now. If we want to attack we need to do it soon."

"I know," Elsword said, rubbing his chin. "But we don't know the layout of the core. I'm afraid of running into traps."

"Eve, what do you think will be down there?" Aisha asked. "Maybe the core will have a similar layout to your old kingdom."

"My kingdom was mostly protected by servants." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "There must be guards around the core, some small guards and some bigger ones."

"So we definitely won't be at our very best when we meet this King." I blurted.

Eve bobbed her head," it is impossible to reach the King without facing one of his guards."

"So what about traps?" Chung inquired. "You got a clue on what they might be like?"

"Traps, eh?" Eve thought silently to herself for a couple minutes before replying," traps triggered by footing could be a possibility or laser beams. Spike traps could also be a possibility, but I think the laser beams are more likely to appear."

"Why is that?" I asked.

"Lasers are easy to set up and can be reused." Eve explained briefly. "Floor traps need to be reset after being triggered which leads to extra work for the King, and the spikes will need to be cleaned after one use."

If the King was really evil he would use all three in the core, but i doubt he'd have the time to set all of that up.

"I'll think of something today." Elsword said, helping himself up to his feet. "Don't worry about attacking the core until tomorrow, I want you guys to get some rest before facing the King."

"Elsword, I have a request for you," Eve looked up at Elsword. "I had a conversation with some of the Nasods last night and they have requested us to rescue the Nasods that have been taken to the core."

"Do they know where they're held?" Elsword asked.

Eve shook her head," I will make something to extract memory from a Nasod memory chip. We will simply need to defeat a Nasod in the core to obtain their location."

"In that case I see no problem with the rescue," Elsword replied with a smile. "We'll be counting on you."

Eve pried her eyes away from Elsword," I understand." She smiled.

"Anyways, I want everyone to stay here and keep watch of the villagers," Elsword ordered nonchalantly. "I'll be out looking for tonight's dinner."

"I'll come with you," Raven said, springing up to his feet.

Elsword raised a brow at him," why so eager to come along?" He asked.

Raven shrugged," I don't wanna stay here all day." He stuffed his hands into his pockets. "I, uh, also wanna talk to you about something." His eyes wandered to the ground. "It's about the kid."


	54. 54

Dealing with the villagers was like dealing with a stubborn and hard-headed customer. Everything you say or do would upset them in some way, thus leading to more tension and hatred on both sides. Almost every villager resented our offer to watch over them, many of them worked us like slaves while others demanded to be freed from the only safe place left in Altera. Some of the Nasods tried to aid us but they were quickly driven away by the angry villagers, so they spent most of their day huddled on the other side of the hideout. Eve sat among them as she worked on a way to extract the memory of an enemy Nasod, from the looks of it, the rebel Nasods were eager to help her.

Amos isolated himself from us and the villagers for the majority of the day. He worked quietly on his alchemy on the sidelines, only responding to us with short answers and would only interact with other villagers when he was confronted by them. All of us were concerned for his well-being but none of us knew how to provide him the comfort he needed at this time, so all we could really do was watch out for him from a distance.

We were more than happy to leave the bitter crowd alone when Elsword and Raven returned. Both the guys came back with a good hand full of berries and fruits, it was just enough to feed every single mouth in the hideout. As dinner proceeded we asked what they had discussed but neither of the guys were willing to give out any information. Raven left our circle once he was finished with his dinner and returned to Amos' side. I can't imagine he got a good sentence from the Ponggo, but he seemed like the only person who could give Amos the comfort we failed to provide. Elsword motioned us to close in our circle once Raven was out of earshot, we eagerly followed his order.

"I'm going to tell you guys our plan of attack for tomorrow," Elsword whispered. "I want everyone to keep quiet of this until tomorrow morning. If the Ponggos hear about this, they might try to escape tonight."

I exchanged concerned looks with a couple of people before returning my attention back to Elsword. I hope this plan won't make us turn around and run away.

"Raven and I agreed to get up early tomorrow to get food," he began. "We'll return as quick as we can so we can feed you guys, Raven expected the Ponggos to wake up by the time we're finished breakfast. Once everyone is full we'll head to the core."

"Who will look after the villagers?" Aisha asked.

"I'm getting to that," Elsword replied. "The villagers will be protected by Yang and the Nasods, which they probably won't be too happy about." He paused for a moment. "I plan on using the El Shard to fly us over to the core, but there's a bit of a twist."

His eyes jumped in between Aisha and Chung," I want you two to stand near the front with Ara. When we make our way to the core I expect some Nasods to attack us, if not Nasods then some traps. You two will try to counter those traps and keep it from hitting Ara."

The duo bobbed their heads at their given tasks. Elsword smiled at their compliance and continued," Once inside, we will try to look for an enemy Nasod and get their memory of the layout. From there we will split into a rescue team and an attack team. The rescue team will find as many captured Nasods as possible and free them while the attack team will face the King himself. If there are no more Nasods to be rescued I want the team to deliver the Nasods back, with the Wind Shard, and return to help us fight."

"I'm assuming you've already got the teams made?" I asked.

Elsword nodded," I want strong attackers at the very start, so I will be relying on both Ara and Eun, Aisha, and-"

"E-excuse me." Eve cut him off. "As the former Queen of the Nasods, may I join the offensive unit to take on the King? I-I understand if that does not abide with your plans."

"It's okay," Elsword smiled warmly. "I completely understand why you'd wanna join."

"Thank you," she answered.

"In that case," Elsword scratched the side of his head. "I'll switch Raven out with Eve. So it looks like the girls will be taking on the Kings while us guys will do the rescue."

"I'm okay with that," Aisha said as she checked her nails. "We're strong enough to take some rusty old King on, the battle will be a piece of cake."

Her cheeks flared with a faint shade of pink as Elsword snaked an arm around her shoulders," and don't worry if you ladies have some trouble dealing with him. You can always rely on little ol' me to help you out." He winked.

Aisha tightened her lips together and pushed him aside," like I would need help from _you._" She slapped him on the stomach.

"Okay, okay, no need to get so excited." Elsword laughed, earning him another smack.

"Get on with that plan of yours," Aisha crossed her arms together with her cheeks still slared in a tint of pink. "It's rude to keep people waiting."

Elsword hastily re-positioned himself and cleared his voice," as I was saying," he shot a quick glare at Aisha. "The rescue team will join the fight after the Nasods have been rescued from the core. If there are any additional dangers in the hideout please stay behind to help defend it. We've had enough casualties already, let's not try to add any more."

Someone sneezed as a cold wind brushed past us. The wind showered us in the tiny water droplets it picked up along the way.

"I'll be telling the Ponggos before we leave." Elsword added. "Until then please try to keep quiet."

"Don't worry, we won't tell," Chung answered. "Besides, I doubt any of us would want to talk with them after the day we had."

That's how we launched ourselves into a conversation about our crazy day. We tried to keep our voices down and our laughter to a minimum, but it was hard to contain ourselves when Chung wouldn't stop complaining about this one old and cranky Ponggo. Talking behind the villagers' backs wasn't our greatest idea, nor our proudest moments, but it was something to calm us down and lift the mood back up.

* * *

I slept through a majority of the night without a problem. When I woke up the sun was still not out yet but Raven and Elsword had already left to find some food. Eve was also up at this time on watch duty, she stood quietly at the mouth of the cave and gazed mutely out to the core. Knowing I wouldn't be sleeping any time soon, I gingerly helped myself up to my feet and walked toward her.

"Good morning," I whispered.

She jumped at my abrupt greeting and snapped her head back," o-oh, good morning, Ara." She replied as she relaxed from the initial shock.

"How long have you been up?" I asked, turning my attention to the core. It's blue light brushed against the dark cave softly, gently pushing night's shade to the farthest corner of the cave. In some way, the light provided the hide out a false sense of serenity and comfort-comfort from the darkness.

Eve shrugged," I have been too busy thinking to keep track."

We fell into silence shortly after, the rushing water roared loudly into the cave to fill in the silence.

"I have been thinking," Eve said after some time had passed. "Raven and I are very much the same, but we have matured in very different ways."

"How so?" I asked.

"Raven seems more open now that he has faced his past," she began. "Before he was quite distressed about his sins and was quite obviously in denial of his actions. Now that he has faced those mistakes he seems more human."

"More human?" I arched my brow at her. "What made him so inhumane before?"

"Perhaps I worded it wrong," Eve quickly elaborated. "To me, humans are interesting and amazing creatures. Your species may not be very intelligent but you all have a goal and purpose to fight. Almost every human I have met has a goal they want to meet or a purpose that keeps them fighting-to keep living."

I can't argue with that statement. One of the only reasons I fight is to avenge my family and to find my brother. I can't think of any other reasons to enter battle.

"Raven only had a purpose to fight for the good side, in hopes of turning back to the person he once was." Eve went on. "Although it was a good goal, it wasn't enough to fuel his power. After observing his fight in the Factory I have concluded that he has changed his purpose to fight. His power and courage has grown significantly greater with this new goal, according to my observations."

"What do you think he fights for now?" I asked, genuinely curious at Eve's answer.

"I may be over analyzing the situation," she warned. "But I believe he now has a goal to redeem himself to those he has harmed and to protect the ones he cares for. Why else would he have fought so hard on the Ponggos' behalf; and why would he have rushed in to make sure we didn't leave a comrade behind?"

"You do have a point," I admitted. He has seemed extra motivated to fight on the Ponggos' behalf.

Eve laughed to herself quietly," talking about how he's changed has got me thinking about myself. I used to fight for the sake of becoming stronger, my goal was to increase my power and rebuild my fallen Kingdom. Now I feel a stronger need to protect the villagers that live on the island and a responsibility to guide the Nasods on a path of peace. If I want my Kingdom to prosper I must crate good relations with those outside it."

"Wow," I blurted. "That's a really good goal to have."

Creating peace instead of focusing on strength, in the long run that would benefit everyone. If Eve manages to rebuild her Kingdom without conflict, humans may be willing to welcome her Nasods back into society. No doubt an accomplishment like that would go down in history.

"I will admit, the idea of rebuilding the Nasods Kingdom with peace is great, but I fear that I may not be able to do it alone." She folded her hands tightly together. "I know my friends will always be there to support me, but everyone cannot dedicate all their time to helping me rebuild the Kingdom."

"I'm sure you'll do fine," I said, patting her on the back. "I know it'll be hard to make people accept Nasods again, but I know you're strong enough to do it. It's true we can't always be with you during that time but you can always be sure that we've got your back, and I bet those rebel Nasods will be standing firmly by your side as well. You won't have to do this alone, Eve. Everyone is here for you."

"I suppose you are right," Eve sighed deeply. "The simple idea of creating new relations with the humans is stressful enough but I know it is an obstacle I must overcome."

"And you will overcome it," I reassured.

"Thank you," she smiled warmly. "I am glad I have your support."

We stood by the edge of the cave's mouth talking for hours about nothing in particular. Eve was more willing to show her emotions during that talk which made me feel both honoured and surprised-surprised because I didn't expect her to be so willing to express herself, and and honoured that she's willing to drop the poker face and be herself around me.

During our talk I couldn't help but ponder on the idea of changing your purpose to fight. Raven and Eve both had a drastic turn in their goals, now they both hold up very noble purpose to enter battle. Their changed mindset had forced me to reflect on my own goals.

My purpose to fight was to grow stronger and avenge my fallen village, it's a goal born from pure hatred. I didn't really gave it much thought until now. Seeing how much my friends have changed has made me wonder if I could find a better purpose to fight, something that can benefit others and not just myself.

But is there really any other purpose for me to fight? Would I really be standing where I am today if it weren't for the hatred I held for ones who murdered my village?

Compared to Eve and Raven, I really had a rotten reason to fight.

* * *

Elsword and Raven returned just as the sun began to peak from the horizon. They hastily woke everyone up and began preparing for the upcoming attack. No one spoke much during the breakfast or during preparations, we only spoke up when we clarification of the attack. Elsword stepped out to make a phone call as some of the villagers began waking up. They were quick to catch on our strange behaviour and quietly questioned our next plan of action.

Raven and Chung went to serve them breakfast once a majority of the villagers were awake. They were bombarded with questions about their early rising as they handed our food, but neither one said a single word to them. Their silence only made the Ponggos more distressed.

Elsword was still talking on the phone by the time the guys came back from serving the Ponggos. We took this time to check over our supplies and go over the plan. The tension was quickly escalating along with our anxiety for the blind invasion.

During that time I pulled the guys aside to teach them how to use the El Shard. We started practising on small objects like rocks and weapons, and then moved to more advanced objects like a pile of backpacks. Chung was quick to master the El Shard and was able to lift himself off the ground while Raven was stuck trying to lift the backpacks. It took Raven a bit longer to grasp and control the Shard's power, but he was soon able to lift himself up along with another person.

"Okay, team, I hope everyone is ready." Elsword walked back into the hideout with his head held high. "It's time to take on those Nasods."

An uncomfortable silence fell on us. Raven gently placed himself back on the ground and returned the El Shard to me.

"Eve, do you have what you need to get a Nasod's memory?" Elsword asked as he lifted his backpack off the ground.

Eve bobbed her head," I tested it on some of the Nasods here yesterday and it works just fine."

"Who did you call?" Aisha asked.

"Lowe," he answered. "Uh, he wasn't very happy with our plan."

"And you're proceeding with it anyways?" Chung piped in.

"We had an argument but I managed to win," he shrugged. "He called me stubborn and then promised to do something about the King if we..." He paused for a moment. "I-if we don't make it out."

One of the younger Ponggos began to cry on the other side, it's scream echoed loudly along the cave walls.

"We should tell them now," Raven said stiffly. "They've been asking us questions all morning."

"I know," he ran his hand through his hair. "Well, let's get this over with." He glanced over at the many Nasods stationed around us, each one had their undivided attention glued on him. "I'm counting on you guys to protect the Ponggos."

"We won't fail," one of the Nasods replied. "In return please protect our Queen. She is the only hope we've got."

"Don't worry," Raven answered before Elsword could say a word. "We'll make sure she returns to you." He clenched his hands into a tight fist. "You can bet my life on it."

"We should get going," Aisha said softly. "We can't waste anymore time here."

Elsword bobbed his head and mutely gestured us to follow him. Yang pulled at my sleeve just as I was about to follow. It whined and nuzzled its moist nose in my hand," it'll be okay, buddy." I knelt down to its level and wrapped my arms around it. "I'll come back."

Yang rested its head on my shoulder and whimpered once again.

"I promise I'll come back." I ruffled its fur. "I can take care of myself so don't worry okay?" Yang responded by licking my cheek.

"Take care, big guy." I said, kissing it on top of its head. "We'll be going back home once the King is defeated."

I hopped back onto my feet and hurried back to my friends. When I arrived Elsword was already finishing up his announcement to the Ponggos. Many of the Ponggos looked shock and even angry at his plan while others held worried expressions-especially Amos. He was standing at the back of the crowd with widened eyes at the the sound of our plan. There's no doubt he's conflicted with our attack, especially since the risk is so high.

"And if we are to fail, another Red Knight party will come to keep you all safe." Elsword finished hastily. "Until then the Nasods over there will protect you-"

"Absurd!" The chief bellowed. "I can't believe how stupid you kids are. How can you possibly expect a group of Nasods to keep us safe? All they want is for us to die so they can have full control of our land."

Elsword took a sharp breath in," I know it's hard to accept." He began slowly. "But these Nasods are different, they show full loyalty to the Queen."

"Like that makes a difference." The chief replied angrily. "I refuse to be left alone with those machines."

"Please have faith in them," Eve piped in. "I understand your villagers have been harassed by the Nasods, but I promise those days are over. Once I take down the King and reclaim my throne I promise to rebuild my Kingdom in a peaceful way-"

"I don't believe you." He cut her off. "Nasods don't care about anyone else but themselves."

"Then I will change that," she answered coolly. "I vow to keep peace between your villagers and my Kingdom. I vow to use my royal subjects to protect the Ponggo community from outside harm, and I vow to use my powers to fight for your villagers and my loyal followers."

Silence fell between both sides. The chief Ponggo held a cold glare on us while we stood our ground quietly, not saying a word to return the hate.

"M-maybe we can trust her," one of the villagers spoke up. "I-I've never seen a Nasod show s-so much emotion before."

"A-and her friends have done their best to protect us," another added quietly. "T-those Nasods haven't done a-anything to hurt us either."

"Don't be fooled, they have done a terrible job to protect us." Another piped in.

"At least they were brave enough to fight for us."

Debate among the crowd erupted, with some Ponggos sheepishly defending us while others pointed out our past failures to protect them. The chief tried to calm his villagers down but nothing he said could calm the chaos sweeping over the angry crowd. It's a matter of time before the villagers turn to physical violence.

"Quiet please," Elsword shouted over the agitated crowd, quieting most of the villagers. "I understand why some of you might be against us and the Nasods, but you must understand that we have no other option left. We either stay in this hideout forever or go attack the core head on-the second option must involve the Nasods we have here."

He gestured to the group on the other side of the cave.

"It is a chance you must take if you want to end this suppression." Eve added, she took a step forward. "I believe it is very possible for us to live in peace, but that peace cannot exist if you do not wish to put faith in my Nasods." She paused and allowed the crowd to soak in her words.

"I am joining this attack because I see a future for both sides." She continued softly. "A future where Nasods live along side the Ponggos. I am willing to fight for that future and I will do everything in my power to start that new era of peace."

"Oh really?" The chief arched his brow at her. "Do you really believe you can give us a peaceful future with Nasods?"

Eve nodded with eyes locked onto his.

"I'll believe it when I see it," the chief said with a scoff. "I wouldn't be surprised if those Nasods turned on us when you're gone."

"They won't," Eve replied almost instantly. "I promise they won't."

The chief didn't say any more as he turned his back to us and walked away. Many of the villagers erupted into hushed conversations, most of the villagers shared their doubts in us while others openly showed their support for us. Eve took her time to thank her supporters and reassured them of her promise.

"Well that went better than I'd expected." Elsword said with a sigh. "Now all that's left is for us to face that scrap of metal they call a King and take back that El Shard."

"I-I'm getting really nervous about doing this," Aisha admitted with an uneasy giggle. "I hope things will go according to plan."

"Don't worry," Elsword casually wrapped his arm around her. "We'll be totally fine out there."

"Easy for you to say," she rolled her eyes. "You're not the one facing the King."

"Awe, don't be like that." He replied. "I know you'll do fine out there."

A tug on my sleeve dragged my attention away from them. I looked down and locked eyes with Amos, he held a small bottle with a clear liquid inside. Now that I got a closer look at him I could see the fatigue hanging from his bloodshot eyes. It was like he hadn't slept for a long time and I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. Seeing his sister dying would no doubt keep him up at night.

"D-do you really have to go?" He asked, his voice came our hoarse. "C-can't you get another Red Knight party to go?"

"Sorry, buddy," I ruffled the top of his head. "We need to do this."

"B-but what if you don't return?" Tears began welling up in his eyes. "I-I don't want you guys to die. W-what would I do if y-you guys were dead too? W-who would I have after that?"

He wrapped his arms around my leg and began to cry. At this point he caught the attention of the rest of my team.

"D-don't leave me," he sniffled. "I-I promise I'll be good. P-please don't go." His grip around my leg tightened.

"Amos, we need to do this," I tried to explain, but it only seemed to make it worse. "I-I know it's hard but I promise we'll come back."

"I-I don't like promises!" He screamed. "Agatha promised she'd always be with me but she lied. She lied like mommy and daddy did."

His comment hit home with me. I wanted to tell him I understood his pain and I understood his fear but I didn't think it would be the best time to reveal my past. Right now Amos was the one who needed support, not me.

"Hey, kiddo." Raven made his way over to us and knelt down beside Amos. "I don't wanna leave either, but I have to."

"Why?" Amos cried weakly. "J-just stay here with us. It's safe."

"I know," Raven answered softly. "But it's our job to protect you and the others. You heard Eve's speech right?"

Amos nodded mutely, his grip around my leg weakened.

"Everyone here wants to see that future, some believe it more than others." He explained slowly. "We can't have that future unless we're brave."

"Brave?" Amos repeated curiously.

Raven nodded," no one here is excited to go to the core, we're all really scared, but we're brave enough to overcome that fear for your village. We know it's dangerous but we want to take the risk for everyone."

"B-but what if you fail?" Amos let go of my leg and tackled Raven with a hug. "W-wouldn't all that brave be wasted?"

Raven chuckled," it's bravery, not brave." He corrected as he returned the hug. "Look, kid, our efforts won't be wasted here. Elsword contacted someone who will come to protect you if we fail. They'll then finish off what we started and free everyone from the King."

"It wouldn't be the same." Amos cried.

"Kid, I can't promise you we'll return safely." He said with a sigh. "But I can promise you that we'll give it our best shot. We'll use all of our power to fight that Nasod King."

"Raven is correct," Eve walked toward Raven and sat down beside him. "We will use all of our power to fight for everyone's sake."

"That Nasod King won't know what hit him." I added enthusiastically.

Everyone joined in and reassured Amos our strength and the power we plan on using against the King. Amos laughed at a few of the exaggerated comments which helped him calm down.

"Look, everyone is ready to fight the King." Raven said after some time had passed. "That Nasod will get a good beating from us regardless."

"I-I guess that makes me feel a bit better." Amos released Raven from his hug, with the same bottle still held in his hand. "I'll try to be brave too."

"That's a good boy." Raven replied with a smile.

"Here," Amos held out the bottle to Raven, the liquid inside swayed back and forth at the quick movement. "It's not perfect but this is the closest I can get it."

"What is it?" Raven asked, accepting the bottle.

"An acid," Amos answered. "It's a very special acid that is activated with magic. The book said it can eat through anything once activated so be very careful."

"Thank you, Amos." Eve smiled. "This potion may come in very handy during our fight."

"I should be the one thanking you," Amos crawled over to Eve and hugged her. "The adults don't see it but I see you guys as heroes and heroes like you deserve all the 'thank yous' in the world."


	55. 55

**I was going to upload two chapters yesterday containing nothing but "Trololol..." but I decided that would be a mean thing to do, especially if you were really looking forward to the new chapters XD**

**Hope you enjoy the chapter and thank you so much for reading so far into this story!**

* * *

Just as Elsword predicted there were various traps triggered on the way to the core, the traps only consisted of lasers and missiles so we didn't have to worry about fighting midair (which made Aisha and Chung's job significantly easier) . Unfortunately, when we arrived to the core we couldn't find an obvious doorway to enter so we had to resort to breaking ourselves in-looks like stealth was no longer part of the plan.

The inside of the core was rather plain and disappointing, to say the least. I expected the core to have various Nasods on guard and futuristic gadgets that would activate and attack us for invading. Instead we were greeted with an empty blue hallway, two shielded Nasod guards, and a couple of coloured laser beams guarding the hall.

Our sudden appearance caught the Nasods off guard, giving us just enough time to attack and quiet them down. Eve wasted no time to extract the memory from the fallen Nasods with her phone-like device. We stood on guard while Eve gathered as much information as she could on the core. It was suspicious to see the lack of Nasod activity during our watch. You'd think a loud explosion would cause the Nasods to grow distressed or curious. The further I thought about it the more I grew concerned about our safety. Maybe the Nasod King knew we were going to come and set up a a trap for us to wander in to. It wouldn't catch me by surprise if we found out one of the surviving enemy Nasods warned him about our possible invasion.

"I have got it," Eve announced after some time had passed.

With the El Shard still tightly in hand, I scanned over the surrounding area one last time before turning my attention to Eve. She held up her device proudly, on its small screen showed a detailed layout of the core," the memory extraction was a success. I have got valuable information on the core layout and the guards on duty."

"So what are we up against?" Elsword asked.

"One thing you must know is that the core is a one way passage. You can think of it as a building made up of one big hallway." She zoomed into the top left corner of the screen. "We are up here"-she gestured to the blue layout-"the Nasod prisoners are held just above us, so the rescue team won't need to travel a long distance. The location where the older models are being scraped is around the same area so you can stop by there right after freeing the prisoners."

"And let me guess," Aisha piped in idly. "The big fancy king is at the bottom of this thing."

"Exactly," Eve double tapped the screen to zoom out. "The King is safely situated at the bottom level of the core." She gestured to the empty space at the bottom of the map. "I would imagine the area is heavily guarded so do expect a couple of battles along the way; this applies to the rescue team as well."

"Is there any particular threat we should be aware of?" Raven asked.

"There is a couple of things," Eve answered. "Both teams will be encountering laser traps along the way. Whatever you do, do not touch a red or green laser. That will set off an alarm through the entire core. The blue lasers aren't as threatening but they will do damage if touched. In addition, both memories showed vague signs of two elite Nasod guards. I cannot get any additional information about these two guards but I suspect they know of our intrusion."

"Or maybe they slept in today and don't know about our surprise visit," Elsword added jokingly.

"Elsword, take this seriously," Aisha snapped, slapping him on the arm. "We could die because of these guards."

"O-okay I'm sorry," he held his hands up in defeat. "I was just trying to lighten everyone up."

"We should get going," Eve said as she turned the device off. "It shouldn't be possible for either team to miss their target locations, this structure is very linear and there isn't much to hide from us."

"Looks like it's time to go," Elsword said with a sigh. "Good luck out there. Don't do anything stupid," he pointed at me. "I'm looking at you specifically."

"I'll play it safe," I reassured with a smile. "You guys stay safe as well."

After knowing Eun's power isn't enough to protect me or others around me I don't think I can bring myself to act recklessly.

"You better use your brain out there," Aisha snapped at Elsword. "I don't want you killed for being a complete idiot."

"Awe, are you worried about me?" Elsword asked with a wink. "That's so cute."

"I'm not cute," she nearly screamed as she slapped Elsword's arm. "How can you talk to me like that at a time like this? Y-you jerk."

"Wow, you're feisty today." He laughed. "You don't have to try and act all cool. I know you love me."

Within seconds Aisha's face was coated in a deep shade of red," ew gross." She shrieked, pushing him away. "I would never love you."

"I meant as a friend," he added with a sly smirk. "But you can love me in another way if you want."

"I hate you," she buried her tomato flushed face in her hands. "I shouldn't have said anything to a jerk like you."

"I'm just joking," he laughed, snaking an arm around her shoulder. "In all seriousness, I want you to stay safe as well. I'll never forgive you if you die."

Aisha kept her face buried in her hands, but we didn't need to see her face to know that it has evolved to a whole new shade of red.

"If we make it out alive I promise to take you out somewhere nice." Elsword added-that earned him another slap to the arm.

"That was quite a scene." Eve giggled as she diverted her eyes away from them." I cannot understand how they can fight so often and yet be so close to one another."

"That's how close friends treat each other," Raven explained. "But I don't know if those two would be considered just friends at this point."

"What do you mean?" Eve asked. "Are you saying they are like husband and wife?"

Raven chuckled at her question,"I wouldn't jump to that conclusion yet."

"So they are not simple friends but they cannot be classified as a married couple," Eve thought to herself out loud. "Why are human relationships so complicated? This will require further research back at home." Raven burst out laughing in response.

_It is heartwarming to see your team bonding right before entering battle. _Eun commented. _At the same time it is also heartbreaking._

'I know what you mean.' I replied. 'I'm happy to see everyone is in such a carefree state but it makes me scared that one of us might not be here at the end of the day.'

_I will admit, the thought of knowing one of these humans may die during this mission saddens me. I have grown quite fond of your friends._

'It's a shame you can't talk to them like I do. I bet they would really like you as a friend.'

_They may accept me as a member of the team but I doubt they will accept me as a friend. Humans and demons cannot exist in unison, at least not in a world like this. _

'But we're friends, right?'

_If you wish to refer to us as friends then so be it. However, you are only one human. Every other human would not hesitate to kill my kind. It is like the bitterness between Nasods and Ponggos, expect in my case, demons have no chance in being accepted into your society. We do not have a Queen like Eve to guide us and our history with humans is stained with more blood than the Nasods and Ponggos. _

'They accept Yang as a part of our team, so what makes you so different?'

_ Comparing Yang and I is like comparing a dog with an ex bandit, any human would choose to trust the dog more than the bandit. A dog can learn to be loyal but a bandit may not necessarily change their mindset. Only a bandit can think of a plan to betray and ambush. The worst a dog can do is give into its natural hunting instincts and attack. _

'They all know you're good, Eun. There's no doubt-'

"You seem awfully quiet," Chung snapped me out of my internal conversation with Eun. "What's up?"

"I was just talking to Eun," I answered vaguely-I didn't want to go into detail about Eun's thoughts. "Oh, I should probably hand this to you now." I held up the El Shard.

"Right, it would suck if we forgot about that," he held out his hand to me.

"Don't drop it," I warned, placing the Shard into his hand. "And if you do drop it you better not blame me. I won't be-"

My words were abruptly cut off when his fingers wrapped themselves tightly around my hand. A small voice in my head told me to pull away but I couldn't bring myself to move my hand away. Images from a few nights ago flashed through my head causing my cheeks to heat up.

I wonder what would've happened if Eun didn't interrupt. What would he have done? I wonder if he would've kept my hand in his grasp until someone else interrupted or maybe he would've pulled me into a hug-where am I getting these ideas in the first place?

"If you die today," he began with eyes locked onto mine-I felt my heart jumping up to my throat. "I'll find a way to resurrect you and kill you again myself."

"That's a nice thought to have," I tried to joke around. "Talk about overkill."

"I just grew fond of your annoying...everything," he added, ignoring my comment. "Don't go throwing that all away."

"And you don't go throwing our new friendship away," I allowed my eyes to trail down to our hands. "Y-you're a pretty cool friend when you're not a jerk."

"I can say the same for you." He answered softly.

I bit my lower lip as the thought of hugging him jumped in my head. I didn't know why I wanted to do that to him, maybe it was because he could die during this mission and I wanted to share a moment with him before he went off, whatever the reason may be it got me debating whether I should hug him or leave him be.

"We should get going now," Elsword cut our moment short. "C'mon, boys, the faster we save the Nasods the faster we can help fight the King."

* * *

Just as Eve predicted, much of the hallway was infested with colourful lasers. As much as we wanted to speed up our travel through the core we couldn't afford to set off a red or green laser. Some of these lasers were moving at a set path, which costed us more time to predict their next move. Eve had a fairly easy time flying around the lasers, thanks to her drones, while Aisha took it upon herself to fly me across on her staff. She wasn't as quick as Eve, due to the fact that either of us could lose our balance and fall if she went too quick, but she was able to effectively navigate through the maze of lasers.

We barely encountered any enemy Nasods-much of the core was already protected by the traps. Eve grew more distressed the closer we got to our target. She kept reminding us to keep our guards up and eyes peeled for the elite guards. Aisha tried reassuring her of our safety but nothing seemed to help ease Eve's anxiety, but who can blame her? This mission could easily end our lives if we weren't careful, and the fact that nothing had come after us was unsettling, to say the least.

After what felt like an hour of travelling down the winding hallway a large entrance appeared ahead of us-I could instantly sense a strong aura emitting from the inside, the missing El Shard had to be inside. The hallway extended into the opening with little to no light brightening the path ahead. No doubt the King was just beyond the entrance. What made the situation unnerving was the lack of guards. It's as if the King wanted us to enter.

"Well, we're finally here." Aisha sighed. "A-are you two nervous?"

"Just a little," I laughed uneasily. "How bad can it be?"

"I-I'll be honest," Eve piped in quietly. "My legs have been shaking throughout our trip here, the closer I got here the more I wanted to turn back and run. P-perhaps this is what you humans call _fear_."

"Wow, I never thought I'd ever hear you say that," Aisha replied.

"We can discuss the significance of my emotions another day," Eve's eyes quickly scanned over the empty area. "What truly scares me is the lack of guards."

It's great how we're able to make it this far without encountering a single Nasod, but that leads to a more terrifying question. If all the Nasods in the core aren't on guard, where could they all be?

"There's no point in sitting around and being scared." Aisha took a step forward. "We've made it this far so there's no turning back now."

"Keep your guards up," I warned. "We could be ambushed right now."

She gave a stiff nod before making her way toward the entrance, Eve and I followed shortly behind her. The air thickened as we crept closer to the dimly lit path ahead. The magical aura grew nauseously stronger with each step taken, I felt physically sick from the amount of magic present.

"Stop," Aisha abruptly held her arm out to halt us.

"What's wrong?" Eve whispered.

"Shh," she quickly snapped. "I thought I heard something."

I held my breath as my ears strained to pick up the smallest sound. My eyes locked onto the entrance ahead-if we were going to get jumped, chances are our enemies would be waiting for us in there. Someone gasped as faint footsteps began approaching us, the metal floor clanged softly under our hunter's feet. I felt my heart dropping to my stomach as a figure began taking shape in the darkness, it was no doubt a Nasod. As if it knew I could see its position, the Nasod stopped in its tracks.

I stared mutely at it as it stood its ground. I couldn't tell if the Nasod was staring at me or at the group as a whole; either way, the Nasod knew we were here and it probably had a plan to attack. In one swift move the Nasod pointed its arm at us and released burst of orange light.

"Move!" Aisha ordered as she threw herself to the side-Eve and I leaped to the other side.

A fireball, nearly the size of a small bear zoomed past us, I could briefly feel its heat wave as it flew past.

"You like playing with fire, eh?" Aisha pointed her staff at the entrance and released a trail of fireballs. The Nasod was quick to react and countered it with the same attack.

"Humans should not be here." A voice sounded quietly from the inside. "Especially humans who house the infamous Nasod traitor."

I felt my jaw dropping as a giant red Nasod came running out, it looked as if it was wearing red armour and a matching red mask-a large orange orb sat in the middle of its chest. It was unlike any Nasod I have ever seen. Most of the Nasods we fight were smaller than us, at most they were nearly as tall as us. This Nasod however was bigger than all three of us combined. Simply being stepped on by this Nasod would kill us.

"Ignis," Eve blurted out. "I should've known they would be revived."

"W-who?" I asked while rushing back on my feet.

"When I was still Queen my palace was guarded by two powerful Nasods," Eve explained as her drones lifted her back up. "One of them was Ignis, the fire Nasod."

As if irritated by its name, Ignis smashed its fist onto the metallic ground. A swirling tornado of fire emerged from the point of impact. Without another word we started running away from it, the Nasod laughed as we scrambled away from its attack.

"The other is Leviathan, the ice Nasod." Eve finished once the tornado had begun to weaken and disperse. "I suspect the guys are facing Leviathan now."

We came to a quick stop once the tornado was completely gone. Ignis began approaching us, its bulky arms swayed nonchalantly by its side. We clumped together and slowly backed away from it.

"Ignis," Eve called out to the Nasod. "Do you recognize me?"

"Of course, Eve." The Nasod answered coolly. "I cannot forget the maiden I served years ago."

"This is great," Aisha squealed, a toothy smile etched on her face. "Maybe we don't have to fight it."

"I'm afraid I cannot allow you to pass peacefully." Ignis replied. "It would be against my orders."

"W-what?" Aisha's expression dropped instantly at the response. "But why? D-don't tell me you hate Eve as well."

"Aisha, Ignis and Leviathan were created to serve the King or Queen only." Eve explained hastily. " It does not matter what they like or do not like. They have only one purpose and that is to serve the Nasod ruler."

"Eve is correct," Ignis pointed its hand at us. I felt my body stiffening at the thought of facing another fire tornado. "I did enjoy serving m'lady during her rein but the throne no longer belongs to her. It-"

"It would be disrespectful to go against your King's order." Eve interrupted stiffly. "I understand, Ignis. It was the King who revived you and gave Nasods hope again, not me. Until I can reclaim my throne we cannot be on good terms."

"If you reclaim the throne, do not think ill of me. I am simply serving my current master." Just like before Ignis launched a fireball at us. We all jumped to the side-Eve and I jumped to the right while Aisha went to the left.

Ignis proceeded to launch another burning tornado at Aisha's direction. Fortunately Aisha was quick to react and countered it with a blue tornado. A cloud of steam filled the battlefield as the two opposing forces collided, making it nearly impossible to see where Ignis and Aisha were.

"There's no way we can beat Ignis," I squinted my eyes at the white cloudy surroundings. "We'll be burned to crisps before we even have a chance to get close to it."

"Fighting Ignis is not easy," Eve responded. "But Ignis is not invincible. Ignis has a weak point which is located in the orb on its chest."

We would've had some chance to beat it if was on the back, but now I'm positive we won't be beating this thing anytime soon.

"Cyclone," Aisha's attack discarded some of the white smoke surrounding her and Ignis.

"We need to find a way to make Ignis fall," Eve quickly added. "When Ignis is off guard we can hit it with the finishing blow. I-I know it's not a very detailed procedure but it is the best I can think of right now."

"I like that plan," I replied with a reassuring smile.

"I need you to distract Ignis for a bit while I quickly inform Aisha about it," Eve ordered hastily. "Is that okay with you?"

"Be quick, Eve." I answered promptly. "I don't know how long I'll last."

"I will try my best."

Without another word I sprung toward the fuming Nasod. Ignis kept its back on me as I continued its one sided fight with Aisha, its flames were quickly overpowering her own. I quickly took this chance and slashed the Nasod across the back. I instantly sprung back from my prey once I had caught its attention.

"You're going to regret that, human." The Nasod sent one last raging fireball toward Aisha before turning its attention to me.

The Nasod raised its arm in the air and snapped its fingers together. In an instant the battle field was raining with fireballs, most of them were aimed at me while others made its path toward Aisha and Eve. Small patches of fire sprung to life as a result of the attack, this irritatingly tightened the space I had to jump around and dodge.

"I'll admit it, you're pretty good." I commented once the attack had run its course. The battle had barely started but I was already drenched in sweat and out of breath-I can't imagine what the fight with the King will be like. "But you're too slow to get me."

"Do not underestimate the power of Nasods, human." Ignis clutched its hands into tight fists, igniting a red flame on each fist.

"Don't waste your breath," I forced out a laugh. To the side I could see Eve hastily making her way to Aisha, who had her staff pointed at Ignis' back. Eve quietly gestured her to lower the weapon, Aisha was hesitant but gave in to her command.

I just had to keep Ignis distracted for a bit longer. Aisha and Eve should spring into action once the message has been passed down.

"I won't be losing to you any time soon." I added. The flames burning on its fists seemed to brighten. "You may have some flashy fire tricks up your sleeve, but I have an advantage over you in combat."

That was Eun's queue to make its appearance. I grinned as its familiar power coursed through my body. The Nasod showed no reaction to my new appearance but I had no doubt my unusual power caught it off guard. I decided to launch an attack while the Nasod was still in a daze.

"Fierce Tiger Strike!" I launched forward with a burning aura surrounding me. I had hoped my sudden attack would hit the Nasod over; possibly knocking it down in the process, but that plan proved to be useless.

With a blink of an eye the Nasod took action. I barely had time to react as it swung its arm down at me, slamming me down on the metallic floor. My head pounded at the sudden impact, the world around me was quickly being filled with tiny black dots.

_Ara, move to the side!_

I didn't know why I had to move but I didn't think twice before rolling to my right, a burning fist slammed into the spot I was laying seconds after I moved away.

I scrambled back to my feet and hurried away as the Nasod proceeded to shoot fireballs at me. I ran blindly to the sides as raging fire flew past me, it didn't take long for one of the attacks to nail me on the back, knocking me back down on the ground. The Nasod didn't spare me an extra second as it slammed its hand into the ground again, even with looking back I knew it had summoned the same burning tornado that had chased us down.

Rolling away wouldn't help me against a tornado, I had to get up and run. I clenched my teeth as I tried to force myself to get up, but the pain ripping through my back quickly became a problem for me. My limbs were weak and shaking as I tried to fight against the burning pain on my back, a cold sweat drenched my body the more I fought against the injury.

"Blizzard Shower!"

I breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of Aisha' intervention-if she was any later I would've become barbecue, quiet literally. Streaks of white smoke snaked around me as a result from the colliding attacks. Knowing that her attack would draw the Nasod's attention away from me I took my time to get up on my feet. Tears welled up in my eyes as the burned skin on my back stretched from my movement, my legs trembled at the raw pain and my hands coated themselves in sweat in response to the unshaken shock.

I rested my weight on my spear once I had managed to help myself up on my feet. I took several deep breaths in before averting my attention to the battle field. The white smoke made it difficult to see where everyone was, but I could tell my side was winning. The white smog left the Nasod disoriented thus allowing the girls to attack it at various angles. They launched their attack one after the other without a break, their barely visible silhouettes flashing from one side of the battlefield to the other.

"Assault Spear!" Eve summoned out a large Nasod spear and launched it at the Nasod. Ignis quickly held its arms over its chest as the spear made contact, it stumbled on its feet as an abrupt explosion resulted from the impacted.

"Chain Burst!" Aisha summoned a chain of fireball at the unbalanced Nasod, her attack successfully knocked Ignis down to the ground.

Eve's Nasods pushed her up into the air and over Ignis, she summoned out the same Nasod spear and pointed it at the fallen guard's chest. Just as she was about to plunge the spear down the Nasod raised its arm and shot a fireball directly at her, the attack knocked her back and away from its weak point.

Aisha cursed as the Nasod sprung back to its feet, it launched a series of attacks at her the moment it was back up-its attacks were more fierce and quick this time around.

"We're going to die if this keeps up." I mused. "Eun, we need to do something."

_We are in no shape to fight. _

"If we don't fight we'll die," I protested. "I-I know I promised not to act reckless but we have no other choice here."

_Ara-_

"Please, Eun." I whimpered. "I want to protect my friends."

Aisha screamed as one of the attacks successfully landed a hit on her. I felt my heart dropping to the pit of my stomach at the sound of her staff sliding across the floor. She screamed at the top of her lungs as the Nasod pointed its arm at her, ready to launch the finishing blow.

_If it is what you truly wish. _I felt Eun taking over control over my body-I mentally braced myself for what was about to come. _Forgive me for this._

With one swift move Eun launched us toward the Nasod. Eun plunged our spear into the Nasod's raised arm successfully saving Aisha from its next attack. We quickly pulled our spear out and leaped back once the Nasod had averted all attention back onto us. Angry at its new injury, the Nasod proceeded to launch a chain of fire balls toward us.

Even with our quickened movement, it proved to be a challenge to dodge all the incoming attacks. Eun leaped from one half of the battle field to the other in mere seconds, sparing no time for us to catch our breath in between.

While Eun was easily able to navigate around the endless stream of attacks I had to endure the pain that came with each movement. It felt like someone was digging a knife through my back each time Eun made a move. A part of me wanted to beg Eun to stop and let us rest while another part knew it was best for us to partake in this battle. I knew there was no other choice but to fight, so I had to endure the torturous pain that was inflicted on me.

"Dimension Link - Century!" Without a warning Eve's Nasod scout sprung from behind Ignis and sent an electric current through its body. That alone seemed to be enough to cease its movements for a moment.

"Chain Lightening!" Aisha quickly launched an electric-based attack at Ignis in response to Eve's attack. The Nasod shakily raised its good arm and shot a large fireball at the incoming attack. Unfortunately for Ignis the impact of the two attacks resulted in an explosion, the sudden shock wave caused the large red Nasod to stumble back.

"Here's our chance," Eun charged forward. "Shadoweave!"

Eun threw our spear directly at the orange orb in the Nasod's chest. Ignis cried out as the spear successfully made contact with the orb but before it could properly dispose of the threat the spear released a wave of dark energy, trapping the Nasod in the dark vacuum.

Eve leaped up from behind and summoned out her Nasod spear once more. With one last battle cry she pointed the spear at Ignis' back and the weapon plunged itself in, the end of the blade ripped through the metallic body and came out the other end of the orb shattering the orange orb into pieces-a glowing amber object fell out of the Nasod's chest. The bulky Nasod fell onto the ground for the last time and didn't show any additional movements afterwards.


	56. 56

"How are you feeling?" Aisha asked with furrowed brows.

I gingerly straightened my back up, half expecting the same burning pain to accompany the movement, my shoulders relaxed as a faint ghost of the original burn shot through my back. "I'm feeling much better." I answered. "I'm so glad you know how to brew up a healing potion."

"Oh don't flatter me," Aisha smiled. "Any amateur alchemist can create a healing potion, if Chung was here I bet he'd be able to do the same thing."

"We are blessed to have two skilled alchemists on our team," Eve piped in with a flame-shaped pendant dangling on the end of her fingers.

After Ignis was finally defeated we proceeded to investigate the strange object that fell out of its chest. It was a pendant shaped as a red flame, the pendant was clearly enchanted with magic thus giving it its amber glow. Aisha wanted to destroy it but Eve insisted it was harmless-it was simply the magic supply for Ignis. While Aisha refused to make further contact with the pendant, Eve decided to take the pendant and keep it as a reminder of her former ally.

"That being said," Aisha added with a sly grin. "I suspect Chung would create an extra complicated potion for you."

I felt my face instantly heating up at her comment," what are you talking about?"

"Don't kid yourself, Ara." She laid her hand on my shoulder. "You know he'd create the most complicated potion he could to save your pretty face."

"No he wouldn't," I answered almost instantly. "He'd create the most simple potion he could."

"Would he _really_ do that?" She emphasized on the word 'really'. "We're talking about the same guy who keeps teasing you-"

"You mean bullying me?" I corrected.

Aisha rolled her eyes," I never knew bullies would let you use them as a pillow." She winked, I knew I had lost the fight at that point. "And I had no idea bullies would be willing to give up their warm sweater just to keep their victim warm through the night."

"O-okay I get it, Aisha." Aisha giggled at my flustered reaction. "I'll admit it, we don't hate each other anymore."

"That's the answer I want to hear," she pulled me into a hug. "I'm so happy you're making friends with everyone."

"I'm glad everyone is so welcoming of me and Eun." I returned her abrupt hug.

"If they are able to accept a Nasod like me, it should come as no surprise that they are willing to have you on the team." Eve said, slipping the pendant over her head-the amber glow seemed to brighten once the pendant was around her neck, as if it recognized her as its new owner. "Now that you are feeling better, shall we finish our mission?"

A tense moment of silence fell between us. Aisha and I mutely broke off our hug; we got up to our feet and began to gather up our belongings. As much as we would like to spend more time together we knew we had to confront the King. It was something we couldn't run away from.

"I'm ready," Aisha announced as she slipped on her backpack.

"Let's finish this job," I sighed, readjusting my backpack straps.

I felt my heart pumping excitedly as we turned to face the King's throne room. In a few seconds we'll be facing the current ruler of the Nasod kingdom. We didn't know how the battle would turn out and what we were up against, but we knew this battle wouldn't be easy-the opposing El Shard would only escalate the battle further.

Eve stepped in between me and Aisha," thank you for helping me." She wrapped her arms around us and pulled us in-her two drones sat themselves on her shoulders. "I wish I had said it earlier, but you guys have been the greatest friends I have had. I am glad to have met you both."

"You make it sound like we're going to die." Aisha snaked one arm around her shoulder. "C'mon, have a little faith in us."

"We'll be just fine in the battle, Eve." I wrapped my closest arm around her. "And if we do die we could be the best ghost friends ever. Think about all the cool pranks we could pull off."

"I call dibs on haunting a bathroom," Aisha nearly screamed out. "That's where all the good reactions are."

"You two are amazing," Eve laughed. "I cannot believe you two can make me laugh at a time like this." She dropped her arms-we released her from our grip.

"We're your friends, it's our job to make you laugh at inappropriate times." Aisha reached out and grabbed her hand. "And as your friends we'll be standing right beside you through this entire battle."

"That Nasod King won't know what hit him," I grabbed onto Eve's other hand.

Eve bowed her head as a toothy grin stretched across her face," thank you." She gave both our hands a tight squeeze. "Let us continue, girls."

Without another exchange of words we began walking forward, our slow footsteps clanged softly against the metal floor beneath us. Eve's grip around my hand tightened as we entered the dimly lit entrance, I squeezed her hand reassuringly and continued forward. Someone took a sharp breath in as the exit to the hallway grew closer and closer, the approaching battlefield slowly began taking shape. We all seemed to inhale at once as we neared the exit-it was finally time for us to confront the King.

The air thickened promptly once we step foot inside the throne room; I was left speechless at first glance of the room. The King Nasod was not hard to spot, to say the least, he was situated at the centre of the circular room, his massive body towering over every angle of the room. The room was built around the large Nasod, several floating platforms circulated around the him each holding an eager group of Nasods. All the Nasods were facing us from the above platforms, each holding out a weapon they've got ready for the fight. I quickly noted the strange coloured objects at the end of each side of the room-both ends held two different coloured objects.

The King himself was a bit like Ignis. His body also appeared to be covered in armour, but unlike Ignis his armour was navy blue with three red orbs rested on his chest. The middle orb proved to be the largest out of the three, there was no doubt his power source was inside. Two unfinished wings were half folded on his back-if he had entirely spread them out I suspect they'd tear through the walls.

"T-that's the King?" Aisha whispered.

Eve nodded mutely-Aisha cursed in response.

I had the urge to spring into action and cut his chest open, a surprise attack now would no doubt catch him off guard, but I knew that action could lead to my death. The Nasod King would probably crush me to death before I even got the chance to put a dent on his body, and even if I could land a hit I doubt it'd do anything. My attack would be like a mosquito bite.

"Eve, I was hoping the rumours were false." The King spoke up-his booming voice bounced off loudly against the metallic walls surrounding him. "A King cannot rule without a Queen."

Eve exhaled slowly and let go of our hands," I must thank you for reviving the Nasods' power, especially in a time like this."

"It's all thanks to my gift," the Nasod placed a hand on his centre orb. An aura pulsated in response to the touch, the magic reflected shook the entire room nearly knocking the Nasods off the platform.

"We both want what's best for Nasods," Eve went on calmly, but I could see her hands trembling by her side-there's no doubt the King could see it too. "We do not have to fight. Perhaps we can talk out a solution."

"Oh? And what would that solution be?" The King challenged. "Would it be to work with those parasites? To create peace between our superior kind with those dogs?"

Eve opened her mouth to respond but quickly snapped it back shut once she realized what the King was trying to imply. I braced myself for an attack once the King's hatred for humans became apparent.

"Humans and Ponggos can be our allies." Eve began slowly-Nasods instantly scoffed at her idea. "We can save the Kingdom from any further loss if we create peace between Nasods and the outside world. Is that not what Nasods sought for? To have a Kingdom safe from intrusion and war?"

"Nasods sought for revenge, for human blood." The King responded angrily. The ground vibrated in response to his raised voice. "Those Ponggos are in the way of our advancement, anything that prevents us from growing must be eliminated."

"You are not helping-"

"Address me as your King, peasant." The Nasod interrupted. Nearly all the Nasods grew mute at the King's request. All eyes, even my own, were now curiously on Eve. I held my breath as the room grew silent, no one made a single sound.

Eve sighed in defeat," your majesty," she spoke those two words calmly but quietly-murmurs erupted among the Nasods. "You are not helping us by eliminating the older models. You are simply adding onto the casualties."

"What do you know? You who chose animals over your own." The King accused. "I know what is best for Nasods and I will do everything in my power to make us prosper once more."

"Your majesty, revenge will only harm us. Eliminating older models will only add onto our death count." Eve protested.

The Nasod King abruptly slammed his fist into the ground-sending out a shock wave in return. I felt my heart dropping as the ground trembled beneath me, nearly knocking me down.

"Enough," he ordered angrily. "Eve, do you wish to join us and rebuild our fallen kind? Or do you wish to die as a traitor?"

With a flash of light, Oberon and Ophelia appeared beside her, her two drones hovered protectively in front of her. I took this as a queue to for the start of the battle and prepared myself to spring into action. The Nasods above took note of our actions and prepared their weapons.

"I choose to fight and reclaim my throne, your highness." She spat out the last part bitterly.

The King leaned back nonchalantly, almost like he was readying himself to watch a play or a TV show," so be it."

The centre of his chest emitted an orange light, his army of Nasods cried out as each one was coated in a burning orange aura. I cursed under my breath at the powered up army, dealing with those guys will be more of a pain than the King.

"And do not think about about leaving." The King added.

I took a quick glance back just in time to see a wall of fire spontaneously rise from the ground blocking our only way out. The heat from the flames bounced off my back, indenting further pain to my delicate skin.

_There is no doubt this Nasod has the Fire Shard. _Eun growled.

Before I could reply to Eun I was swept off my feet by one of Eve's servants and carried across the battle field-the Nasod King's hand chased after us from behind. Aisha was also carried away by one of the servants while Eve was transported by her drones.

The Nasod servants swiftly set us back onto our feet by a glowing yellow machine once the approaching hand abandoned its path, unfortunately a bigger threat began arising in response to our successful dodge. The platforms holding the King's army began to lower, one by one the Nasods hopped off the platform and began charging toward us.

"Do not overlook the King's power." Eve warned hastily. "While you are up against the army be on the look our for the King. I suspect he will attack when we are solely focused on his army."

"How do we beat the King?" I asked with eyes locked onto the approaching army. "There's no way we could sneak attack the King without being caught."

"That I do not know," Eve's answer hit me like a punch to the stomach. If we didn't know how to beat him then we're good as dead. Fighting off his army and eliminating as many foes as possible is great, but we could only fight for so long before we fall of exhaustion. Maybe that was the King's plan, to use his army to run us dry before landing the final hit himself.

"G-guys," Aisha piped in shakily. "Those glowing things are starting to act up."

"Oberon and Ophelia, go confront the army now and try to hold them back for as long as possible." Eve ordered, the two servants nodded before charging toward the army. Each Nasod began attack once the enemies were in range.

Eve and I turned our attention to Aisha who had her eyes locked on the yellow contraption. The machine was glowing more brightly than before, it gave off a faint magical aura but it wasn't as strong as the El Shard's.

"What are these?" Aisha asked.

"That is a good question." Eve mused, she rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps this is a source of the King's magic or maybe a defence mechanism."

I glanced behind us, Ophelia was facing the army head on while Oberon lagged behind to fight off the few Nasods that slipped past Ophelia. It was only a matter of time before they slip past Oberon.

"I got it," Eve announced abruptly. I pried my eyes away from the raging battle and averted my attention to Eve.

"Back when I was Queen I made a few modifications to Ignis and Leviathan." She began. "I wanted to make sure they would last in battle for as long as possible. To make that vision a possibility I created a machine that would shield them both from any physical harm."

"So you're saying these things are protecting the King?" Aisha asked.

"I am getting to that." Eve replied. "When the machines were made I realized they were vulnerable to attacks. Once they were down my two guards would immediately be vulnerable. To cover that weakness I created energy extractors, in other words, a defence mechanism."

As if the machine was responding to Eve's suspicions of its identity, the illuminating machine brightened and released a bolt of lightning at us. Aisha was quick to respond and countered the attack with her own lightening bolt. The two attacks clashed mercilessly into one another, sending purple and yellow sparks flying.

"Illusion Stinger!" Eve casted two Nasod spears toward the machine, a trail of blue explosions followed the spears as they moved toward their target. Within seconds the twin spears embedded themselves into their target, the machine was instantly assaulted with blue electric shocks upon contact. We quickly doubled back as the machine burst into flames-the Nasod spears were summoned back once the target was no longer a threat.

"You fools!" The King shouted at his army. "Get the invaders now!"

"I suspect my hypothesis was correct." Eve noted, she quickly glanced at the advancing army. Oberon and Ophelia continued to fight off the Nasods but their numbers proved to be an issue. More and more Nasods began slipping past the servants and were quickly advancing toward us.

"We must split up in order to reach all the extractors." Eve quickly added. "There is only one more extractor left on this side, I can take care of it myself." She pointed to the far end of the room, a red and green extractor illuminated brightly from the other side. "Ara and Aisha, I ask that you go take care of the two over there."

"We can't just leave you here," Aisha protested. "Those Nasods will tear you apart."

"Oberon and Ophelia can protect me," she answered coolly. Her eyes quickly darted over Aisha's shoulder. "If we stick together it will take longer for us to reach the other two extractors."

She pushed Aisha aside and summoned the same twin spears she used against the extractor, the spears were quickly put into action as sliced through the closing enemy Nasods.

"Go," she ordered with eyes still glued on the incoming intruders. "Do not worry about me, I can take care of myself."

Aisha opened her mouth to protest but didn't say anything in return as she realized there was no winning this argument.

"How will we get across?" I asked in a whisper. "There's no way we can fight our way through."

She looked toward our target extractors," I could teleport us over." She answered. "But I'm scared those extractors will attack us the moment we appear on their side."

"We're going to be attacked either way," I pointed out matter-of-factly. "I can keep my guard up while you get us over, if anything does attack I'll protect us."

She folded her lips together at the suggested idea," I-I guess that could work." Her hands tightened around her staff.

"We'll be okay," I placed my hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry, Aisha. I'll make sure we're safe when we get there."

She nodded and took a deep breath in, I felt her shoulder relaxing under my hand," hold on tight." She closed her eyes and held her staff up, a purple magic circle formed beneath us.

I tightened my grip on her as my feet left the ground and a blinding light filled my vision. Before I could gather up my thoughts, I was placed back down on the ground again and the light faded almost instantly. We were now standing on the other side of the room, standing directly in front of the glowing red extractor, the green one sat a little bit further back from the red. Fortunately for us the extractor hadn't set off as Aisha predicted it would and it didn't appear the Nasods were aware of our new location-at least not yet.

"I'll get this one," I told her as I readied myself to attack the red extractor. "Go take care of the green one."

"R-right," she smiled sheepishly. "Uh, thanks for encouraging me back there. I-I'm still a bit shaky but I feel a bit more confident thanks to you."

"That's what friends are for." I answered just as the red extractor released a path of fire toward me. I quickly jumped to the side, barely evading the attack. "Hurry and deal with the green one!"

Aisha nodded and ran toward her target. At the corner of my eye I could see the green extractor activating, in response to her approach the machine created geysers along her path in hops of tripping her. Aisha swiftly hopped onto her staff and proceeded her advancement toward it through the air.

Knowing she'll be fine against the green extractor I averted my attention back to my target. The attack it launched at me left behind a thin trail of fire. The fire itself wasn't big but it tightened the amount of space I had to dodge.

The red extractor brightened and shot a fire ball at me. I quickly ducked in response, the attack zoomed above me; I could feel its heat brushing against the top of my head. Just as I was about to stand up and launch my attack a loud bang shook the room-the ground to trembled beneath me. I stumbled and fell on my stomach in response to the sudden tremor.

"Those humans are on the other side," the King announced angrily. "Get them now!"

I cursed under my breath and scrambled up to my feet. The red extractor brightened once again in response to my movement, I quickly jumped into action and pierced my spear into the machine. I retracted my weapon from machine and doubled back-half expecting the extractor to explode or catch on fire. I relaxed my shoulders as the red glow in the machine slowly dimmed out, like a dying light bulb.

The ground shook once again, but this time it wasn't enough to knock me over. "Ara, look!" I heard Aisha shout.

I turned around to see the metal panels in front of the King opening. Steam slithered out from the exit as a large yellow machine emerged from beneath the ground. This machine looked a bit like the extractors, expect with more wires and an electric current visibly raging in the glass case.

"Could that be the thing protecting the King?" Aisha rushed beside me.

The Nasod army that was advancing toward Eve turned around and began circling the strange machine, like ants protecting their queen. I glanced toward the Nasod King, he was still and had his attention glued to the device that rose in front of him. I couldn't tell if he was horrified at its entry or simply left in a state of shock by our success in destroying the extractors-it didn't matter what the answer was, all I cared about was the opportunity we had to advance against him while his guard was down. The Nasod army would still try to fight us, which of course if a huge problem, but at last we won't have to worry about dodging the King.

"It looks important," I noted. "Those Nasods seem really desperate to protect it."

"In that case," Aisha spun her staff skillfully in her hand. "We better start attacking it."

I bobbed my head in response and began charging forward, Aisha followed shortly behind. The distressed Nasods quickly took notice of our approach and began running toward us with raised weapons. Aisha quickened her pace and ran past me, I took this as a queue to watch out for her from behind.

Aisha sent a chain of fireballs toward the Nasods, burning a vast majority of the advancing enemies. While the front lines were mostly hit by the attack, the Nasods following behind successfully moved aside and charged at us from both sides. I took the side closest to me while Aisha took care of the other. The Nasods were not significantly stronger than the ones we had encountered in the past, despite being a more advanced version, they were fairly easy to defeat. The problem arose from sheer number that attacked at once.

You could think of it as being beat up by a little kid. One kid trying to punch you is not much of a threat, but when you're being attacked by a horde of little people you don't stand much of a chance. You'd run out of energy before their group runs out of fighters, for a lack of a better term.

Aisha and I barely moved from our spot as the Nasods kept advancing, their attacks kept coming one after another. Both of us were quickly running low on energy but we couldn't let our guard down. One false slip could lead us to a world of hurt.

"Aisha," I heard Eve's voice shouting over the group pf Nasods. "Ara! I-is anyone there?"

"We're here," Aisha called out as she surrounded herself in a protective wave of fire-the orange flames quickly incinerated the nearby Nasods.

"The King's weakness has been exposed," she began-Oberon and Ophelia could clearly be seen slicing through the line of Nasods, creating a thin path for Eve to walk through. "I-I'm almost there."

"We can barely move forward," I announced. "There's too many of them."

"Eve, you have more fighters than us. You should be the one who takes the King down!" Aisha added hastily. "Don't worry about us, we're holding our ground quite good."

Eve didn't reply, but we knew she got the message as her two servants started attacking faster, striking each enemy harder. I wanted to cheer her on as she advanced closer and closer to the King's weakness but I had to focus on the Nasods attacking me. Knowing this battle would be over soon, I stood my ground and forced my drained body to continue fighting. Everyone limb ached, my back was starting to burn again, and I felt like throwing up; but I knew I couldn't let myself fall. We've come too far to fall now.

"The throne is mine, your highness."

I took a quick glance at Eve, both Nasod servants were busy fending off the Nasods around them while Eve had her twin spears pointed and ready to launch at the weak point. I wanted to throw my arms up and cheer at our approaching victory and the end of our seemingly endless fight.

I would love to say she successfully pierced the weak point and took it down. I would love to tell you the King lost and we used the last of our efforts to cut the red orb open and retrieve the Fire Shard, but that would've been too easy.

Just as we were ready to celebrate our victory, the King's weak point emitted a bright yellow light, just like the extractors when they were about to launch an attack. With a blink of an eye the weak point shot lasers at us, each laser had successfully reached their target. Aisha and I were sent flying back as the yellow lasers made contact with us, the abrupt attack hit some of the Nasods along the way. I wanted to quickly re position myself to land on my feet, but that quickly proved to be an impossible task due to the laser's side effect. Not only did the attack send us flying back the way we came from, but the attack also left behind a current of electricity running through our bodies-in other words, we were electrocuted.

I didn't know how long the laser was in contact with us or how long its effects lasted, but that small span of time felt like an eternity. It felt like someone was in control of my every movement, forcing my limbs to spasm uncontrollably-my hand held onto my spear so tightly if felt like blisters were going to form on the palm of my hand. My heart raced wildly in my chest I swear I could feel it slamming violently against my bone as if it wanted to break out. Breathing felt like a chore, my lungs struggled against the invisible boulder sitting on my chest, making it nearly impossible to take in air. At that moment I wished for death to free me from my pain.

When the current had finally passed my body relaxed and went limp on the ground-the deadly grip I had around my spear relaxed almost instantly, I didn't bother catching the spear as it rolled off my hand and out of reach.

"Your efforts are useless." The ground shook once again as an aura pulsated through the room. "I can heal all the damage you have done with a snap of a finger." The Nasods cheered in response. "Prepare to die, intruders."

My mind was lost in a wave of shock and panic, but I was aware enough to hear the Nasods advancing toward us. I tried to move to arm but it didn't respond, it was completely numb and refused to listen to my request. I could hear Aisha sobbing nearby, probably struggling with the same thing as me. I wanted so badly to talk to her, laugh and joke with her one last time-but I couldn't do anything. I tried calling out to Eun but I knew even Eun was hurt from the laser.

We're really going to die here, I thought, a warm salty tear squeezed out of my eyes. The sound of charging Nasods grew closer, their footsteps caused the metallic ground beneath to vibrate.

At least we put up a good fight, I closed my burning eyes and braced myself for the Nasods' arrival. When the guys arrive they won't have to deal with as many Nasods. Maybe they'll have a better shot at fighting the King.

Pain shot through my stomach as one of the Nasods struck me there with what felt like their fist. Another joined in with a kick to the head, then another, and another. Before long I was surrounded by blood-thirsty Nasods ready to pummel me and my friends to death. Aisha screamed as the Nasods began to strike her while Eve and I tried our best to keep ourselves silent-refusing to please the King with our pained cries. I clenched my teeth tightly together as the strikes continued and prayed that death would greet us quickly.

_I refuse to die! _Eun's voice screamed in my head. _Ara, we have come too far to lose. I refuse to allow you to lay here and die. As your guardian I will not allow death to take you in. _

'But, Eun-'

_I will not listen to your protests. From here on out, this fight is mine. _

I felt my control over my body slip as Eun quickly took over. In a matter of seconds Eun leaped to our feet and sliced the surrounding Nasods apart. Our sudden attack sparked attention among the Nasods, thus causing more of them to charge toward us.

Eun growled at their approach and dove for our spear. I screamed in pain as Eun swiftly moved around, each of my limbs felt like they were on fire while my heart was still racing violently against my chest.

'P-please, Eun.' I begged. 'You might be able to endure this pain, b-but I can't. I'm going to die at this rate.'

_You will be fine, Child. _Eun reassured, slicing through the Nasods surrounding Aisha, sparing no survivors. _In this state you may rest while I fight. Do not fear, I will not let anything happen to your already injured body. _

Every attack launched from and at us made the pain intensify, it felt like every limb was slowly being torn apart. I continued to beg Eun to stop fighting but it quickly grew apparent that Eun would stop at nothing to keep us safe.

Everyone was struggling to fight back, I caught quick glances at Aisha struggling to fend off the Nasods while Eve was being protected by her Nasod servants. I noticed Eun's energy and strength quickly depleting as time dragged on, the injuries we had received and the power we had consumed up until this point was quickly catching up to Eun. I braced myself to run as I could feel the last bit of energy drain away-once Eun is down I'll need to do everything I could to dodge and avoid being hit.

I felt my heart dropping as Eun fell on one knee, it tried to help us back on our feet but our fatigued leg refused to listen to our demand.

'Eun, we need to run!'

"I-I can't," Eun said in between breaths. It held our spear close in response to the advancing Nasods. "The faster we can defeat the Nasods the faster we can take on the King."

'We'll be dead before that happens.' I pointed out.

"I will not let that happen," Eun slammed our spear into the ground, the nearby Nasods were forced onto the ground in response to the attack. The abrupt downward force caused some of the Nasods to break while others were left stunned on the ground.

'Eun, we can't keep fight like this. You're going to die at this rate.'

"Ara, it is my responsibility to protect you. I will risk my life to make sure you are safe." Eun responded. Eun prepared to fight back as the stunned Nasods started to regain movement.

'Eun...'

"I can endure more pain than you can, Ara. My stamina exceeds your own. Do not fear I will be fine." With one swift movement Eun leaped forward and sliced through the Nasods in our way.

Eun moved quickly and proceeded to slice through as many Nasods as it could, occasionally stopping to dodge an attack or recover from a hit. Although Eun was doing all the work I still felt the pain inflicted upon us and the fatigue that quickly fell on our tired body. I wanted to black out from the fight and fall into the numbness of sleep, in a way I missed being completely oblivious to the battle Eun carried out. At least I didn't have to endure the pain while Eun forced us further into the fight.

I felt my heart skipping a beat as Chung's voice sounded from somewhere in the battle field. Within seconds an army of blue missiles flew into the battle field, homing into as many Nasods as they could. Eun slowed our movements as a strong wind swept through the room, causing several unsuspecting Nasods to be blown off their feet. Eun lowered ourselves as the wind raged on, I suspected it was strong enough to blow out the fire.

"It's out guys!" Elsword's voice sounded from the entrance. "We can go in."

They're finally here, I thought excitedly. Our reinforcements have finally arrived.


	57. 57

The guys' footsteps pounded heavily on the metal as they rushed in to join the fight-from the sound of it there seemed to be others following the guys in. It was unnerving to hear the extra guests following our reinforcements in, for a moment I was sure they were being tailed for more enemy Nasods but upon further inspection the Nasods that followed them in were like the ones in the hideout-instead of being guided back to the hideout they had come to help us fight.

The guys sprung into action the instant they stepped in, their weapons colliding forcefully against the enemy's. The extra allies that followed in rushed toward the enemy Nasods without hesitation both sides collided and quickly fell into a merciless and messy battle. Many of the Nasods attacking me quickly lost interest and rushed back to help their allies fight against the other Nasods. The few that were left behind didn't stand a chance against Eun as they were quickly wiped out with several swift moves.

"Looks like the battle has turned in our favour." Eun commented once we were no longer surrounded by Nasods.

'I wonder why they guys didn't return the Nasods to safety first.'

"You should be grateful they did not." Eun blew a strand of hair out of our face. "We would still be in a dangerous spot had they returned to the hideout first."

"Ara," I heard Aisha calling from behind.

As if scared of talking to Aisha, Eun quickly retreated back and gave me control once again. I stumbled on my feet at the abrupt transition. I slammed my spear on the ground and leaned my weight on it-there's no way I could keep myself up with my weakened legs, how Eun could overcome that challenge and fight was beyond me.

Once I was sure I wouldn't be able to fall I turned around to face Aisha. She was collapsed on the ground with the defeated enemy Nasods surrounding her, I felt my stomach knotting at how close she was to the red extractor. I glanced at the Nasod King who was currently aiding his army against our own-it didn't appear he knew of Aisha proximity with his extractor but I had a sneaking suspicion he didn't need to know in order for the extractor to jump into action.

"Aisha, don't move." I ordered calmly but quietly.

She tightened her lips together and bobbed her head. I glanced between her and the red extractor and concluded it would only take seconds for the fire to reach Aisha if the machine decides to attack her. If I wanted her to be safe I would need destroy the machine before it acted up.

I held my breath and slowly inched closer to the machine. I locked my eyes on my target, the inactive machine stared blankly back. I clenched my teeth tightly together as I crept closer and closer to the dormant foe, bracing myself for the extractor to spring into action at any minute.

With a blink of an eye the extractor brightened-the red light seemed to shine brighter than before. I was sure the fire would be aimed at me instead but I didn't want to take any chances, especially when Aisha was laying helplessly on the ground. I sprung forward and thrust my spear into the glowing red orb just as the extractor released the attack. Unfortunately I got the full does of the machine's attack but I was still successful at piercing my spear into the machine, destroying it almost instantly.

The wave of fire blew me back before I could pull my spear back out. I cried out in pain as my head collided with the metal ground, almost instantly the world around me grew fuzzy and the sounds from the raging battle began to blend into one jumbled noise.

"I-I'm alive," I whispered to myself, a goofy smile formed on my face at the realization of that fact. "I-I'm okay."

I attempted to help myself up but I was quickly hit with a dizzy spell. Tears burned my eyes as I tried to force myself up while trying my best to ignore the shifting ground beneath me-I fell back to the ground as the King hammered his fist down on the ground. My head collided with the ground once more but the impact wasn't as strong, but it didn't help my already disoriented state.

"Wow, are you okay?" I heard Chung's voice sounding, his fuzzy figure rushed to my side. Even in my dazed mindset I could see the concern stretched on his face.

"I hit my head," I replied bluntly. "Everything is spinning."

Chung cursed under his breath," I leave you alone for a few minutes and this happens." I felt a pair of arms picking me up from the ground, a strong wave of nausea hit me in response.

He quickly jumped back as an enemy Nasod rushed toward him. He responded to the attack by kicking the Nasod, the impact didn't send the Nasod flying but it was enough to make it stumble on its feet. Chung took this opportunity to flee back to where Aisha was, she was now sitting up with her head rested in her hands.

"Did you hit your head as well?" Chung asked once he had arrived to her.

"I feel faint from the amount of magic exerted," she answered with a groan. "I can take her off your hands." She glanced behind him. "I think your friend back there wants to finish the fight."

Chung mutely sat me down beside Aisha before turning around to face the approaching Nasod. Aisha wrapped her arm around me to keep me up," you can rest on my shoulder." She offered. "I saw you fly back from the attack. It didn't look fun."

"Why does the ground have to be metal?" I groaned, resting my head on her shoulder as suggested. "Why couldn't it be carpet? I thought royalty likes that kind of stuff."

Aisha giggled," I guess Nasods don't think the same way."

Silence fell between us as we watched Chung and the ally Nasods fight the remaining Nasods. The number of enemy Nasods drastically fell since the reinforcements arrived and the numbers kept decreasing as the battle continued. The King quickly grew notice of such threats-his agitation grew quickly apparent as more of his soldiers were killed off. The King began taking part in the fight once he realized his army was ground trembled with each fist he hammered down and with each laser beam shot at our team members. There wasn't any additional threats to our team as he didn't seem to want his own Nasods to be harmed in the process-at least he has morals.

"Look," Aisha pointed to the far side of the room. Both Eve and Raven were attacking the two glowing extractors while Elsword and the two Nasod servants held back the army from reaching them. It took me by surprise that Eve could still stand especially after what we've been through.

"Should we destroy the other extractor?" I asked, lifting my head up from her shoulder; I was relieved to see my head wasn't spinning anymore.

"I can't use anymore magic," Aisha confessed sheepishly. "I've exhausted every bit of my power."

"We can't sit here and do nothing," I pointed out. Aisha's grip on me tightened as I attempted to help myself up.

"I won't let you do it," she locked her eyes on mine. "You're going to die if you keep fighting."

"We're all going to die if I don't do anything," I argued back.

"Ara, you can't exhaust yourself any-"

Aisha was quickly cut off as the King swiped Eve and Raven across the room, causing them to collide into the wall beside us. Our small argument quickly died down as we clumsily got to our feet and rushed to our friends' side. Luckily both of them were still alive after the hit but neither of them looked like they were able to continue fighting.

"O-oh my goodness," Aisha stammered as she helped Eve sit up against the wall. "Are you two okay?"

"I have seen better days," Eve groaned, her two drones laid unresponsive beside her. "Raven are you okay?"

"I think I broke something," he winced as I readjusted him against the wall. "Maybe like a rib or two."

"S-sorry," I quickly retreated my hands from him. "I didn't know-"

"It's cool," he answered with a weak smile. "I've been through worse."

"On the bright side we were able to destroy the two energy extractors." Eve added.

"We only have one left," Aisha pointed to the green one. "But what do we do afterwards? The King will just recover the destroyed extractors with the El Shard-and let's not forget to mention our helplessness against those lasers."

"Lasers?" Raven looked over at Eve with a raised brow. "You didn't mention anything about lasers."

"I apologize, it must have slipped from my mind." She replied idly.

The sound of approaching footsteps caught my attention almost instantly. I was about to spring into action just as Chung slowed his pace down," calm down it's just me." He quickly spoke up. I felt my muscles relaxing at the sound of his voice.

Once he knew I wouldn't be attacking him, he turned his attention toward Raven and Eve," I saw you two fly across the battle field." He said. "You two okay after that?"

"Chung, I need you to destroy that machine," Eve pointed to the remaining extractor.

"Wha-"

"Just do it," she interrupted. "I will tell you more later."

Chung opened his mouth to protest but quickly snapped it shut as he realized it wasn't the time to argue back. Without another word he charged toward the green extractor with his cannon held high in the air. I gasped as the machine gave off bright green light but before I could warn him about the attack the machine launched its attack. The ground shook violently in response forcing Chung down on the ground; a boulder, about the size of a pillow, began to materialize above him. Fortunately Chung was quick to react and rolled out of the way before the rocks could crush him. I felt my shoulders relaxing once he was no longer in harm's way.

"I will not allow you to destroy any more extractors." The King clapped his hand together, the green extractor radiated with energy in response.

The battle field trembled as magic pulsated throughout the area. I looked over at Chung who was being shot at by several sharp rocks all the while dodging the rocks materializing above him. He stumbled several times while dodging the attacks but managed to find his balance last minute and moved to safety, it was only a matter of time before he would fall and get crushed by the rocks.

"Is everyone okay?" Elsword's voice piped in as a strong wind rushed by us-he was rushing over to us with the Wind Shard tightly in one hand and a sword in the other.

"Raven and Eve a-are hurt," Aisha told him the moment he had arrived. "A-and Chung is trying to destroy the last extractor."

Elsword's eyes trailed up to where Chung was," I'll go help him." He hastily dropped the Wind Shard in Raven's lap. "Dude, you carry that thing. I almost cut one of Eve's servant in half with it." Elsword withdrew his second sword and charged toward Chung.

Raven quickly grasped onto the Shard before it could slip away (due to the shaking ground). The Shard activated upon contact with Raven's hand its power pulsated heavily from his grasp-it wouldn't surprise me if he wasn't in pain anymore.

"We could probably use this fight the King directly." Raven said with eyes locked on the glowing Shard.

"The King himself also has a Shard," Eve reminded him. "I suspect the Shard is strengthening his barrier. It is best to break the barrier protecting him first, that way he is more vulnerable to attacks."

Raven cursed quietly in response but didn't comment on the subject any further. Aisha lowered herself to the ground as the tremor grew more violent. The opposing Nasods had also stopped fighting, both sides were also struggling to stay on their feet.

"Do we have a plan to destroy the King's weak point?" Aisha asked once she had found her balance.

"I suspect the King will recover all damage dealt with his El Shard." Eve responded-she began slipping off her backpack. "If we want to completely destroy the King's weak point we will need to use something lethal and continuous."

She zipped open her backpack and began digging through its contents. Nearly everyone had their eyes on her curious to see what she had in mind," thank goodness this is still intact." She smiled and pulled out a glass bottle, the clear substance inside rippled along with the tremor.

"Isn't that the acid Amos made?" Raven asked.

Eve bobbed her head," an acid so strong it is able to eat through metal." She quoted proudly. "If this works as well as Amos advertised it to be we may have a chance of winning."

"The problem is getting the bottle to the weak point." I said, frowning.

"And I doubt the enemy Nasods would let you rush in there with a strange substance in hand." Aisha added with a frown.

"I have no other choice," Eve began helping herself up, using the wall as a support. "This battle will drag on if I do not take action."

"Y-you're making it sound like this is your fight only," Aisha stammered. She attempted to stand up but quickly lost her balance half way through.

"It is my fight," Eve took a trembling step forward, her hand never leaving the wall supporting her. "I have dragged you guys into this dangerous battle, thus it should be my responsibility to keep you guys safe."

"Stop tryin' to act like the hero," Raven snapped-his abrupt response made Eve freeze on the spot. "We all came here because we wanted to, not because we were dragged in by you."

Eve was silent only the sounds of the battle raging on around us could fill in the void. "That's easy for you to say, Raven." Her grasp around the bottle tightened. "You do not understand what I am going through."

Raven cursed," you have a pretty bad memory, don't ya'?" He helped himself up to his feet with ease; thanks to the El Shard. "You think I don't know what it feels like to drag my friends into danger? You think I'm oblivious to the fear of losing a friend to a personal affair?"

Eve tightened her lips together, she bowed her head and kept her back facing Raven. Seeing how Eve won't be responding back Raven sighed and mutely made his way toward her.

"You're not running out to that battlefield weaponless and alone." He gently placed his hand on her shoulder-the El Shard's magic aura sparked with extra energy as if trying to comfort Eve. "If you're running out there I'm coming with you."

"I'll help too!" I chimed in, using my spear as a support to help myself up. "Eun and I will do our best out there."

"All we need to do is wait for Elsword and Chung to destroy the last extractor," Aisha reached out to my spear and used it to help herself up. "I might not be able to use magic but I can still swing my staff around like a sword."

"We're a team," Raven added softly. "We're suppose to drag each other into dangerous situations and fight along side one another."

Eve lifted her head to meet our eyes, visible tears were welling up in her golden eyes," t-thank you." She sniffed, a single tear drop escaped from her eye and slithered down her face. "I-I'm sorry for being so selfish."

"We understand," I smiled. "Just remember we're always here for you, no matter what."

She bobbed her head mutely and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand," I appreciate the support but our chances of winning are still significantly low. Our power is weak and most of us are fatigued from previous fights."

Way to ruin the mood, I thought grimly.

"We'll be fine," Raven held the El Shard up. "As long as we have this we can take on anything."

_That fool! _I felt Eun itching to come out and snatch the Shard out of his hand. _Using an El Shard against another El Shard is unheard of. The opposing powers could rip the entire island apart if they aren't handled properly. _

'It's not like we have another choice,' I clenched my teeth in response to Eun's burning anger. 'If we don't use it we could die.'

_Using it could lead to the destruction of this island. _

I wanted to respond back but time was quickly short. The ground began to tremble as our target rose from the ground in a mass of white smoke. The King screamed in anger and pounded both fists on the ground, the shock wave that followed nearly knocked us down. We instinctively leaned against the wall and held onto each other for support.

"It's time to take action," Raven held the El Shard up over his head as the Shard pulsated with an intense aura. In an instant I felt my energy regenerating and my fatigue quickly wiped away by the Shard's light.

"We should get going," Aisha said, separating from the lump we had formed to stay balanced. She closed her eyes and held her staff close to her chest, a magic circle emerged from under her as energy began collecting on her weapon. "I need to charge up some magic first. You guys should go without me."

"Ara, you and I should clear a path for Eve." Raven said, lowering the El Shard back down. "We just need to hold them back long enough for Eve to pour some of that acid on the machine."

"Sounds good to me," I turned myself around to the face the target. Just like before enemy Nasods were flocking around the King's weak point in hopes of protecting it, but this time they had a few extra enemies fighting against them. "We should hurry," I pointed at the King. He wasn't concerned that his only weak point was exposed as he was trying to fix his extractors. The Fire Shard shown brightly in the red orb in his chest, its powers quickly reaching every corner of the room.

"Let us go!" Eve ordered loudly.

Raven and I sprung into action with Eve following gingerly behind us. It didn't take long for the Nasods to notice our approach but that didn't prove to be a problem for us. Raven and I took on opposite sides while Aisha concentrated on the few that were closing in on Eve. Our strategy played out nicely, we were quickly able to form a path for Eve while successfully holding off the Nasods. The ally Nasods soon caught onto our plan and began joining in.

At one point lasers began firing from the target which was thankfully countered by Aisha's swift fireballs. Although we were saved from being electrocuted we kept our guards up throughout the battle in case the lasers set off again and Aisha wasn't there to save us.

"I am sick and tired of this foolishness," the King bellowed. He slammed a fist on the ground once more, his El Shard released a wave of energy. Smoke began slithering out from beneath the weak point as the target began sinking back into the ground.

I cursed to myself mentally. We were so close to reaching it and now we have to start all over again.

"We need to destroy the extractors again," I growled-at the corner of my eye I could see a coloured machines springing back to life-Elsword and Chung could be heard cursing in response.

"We'll retreat for now," Raven took a quick glance at the sinking target. "We need to find a better strategy next time."

"No, we've already come so close to our target," Eve protested, she tried to move forward but the Nasods ahead clumped together and blocked her path.

"Eve, we'll do this again," Raven said in between breaths. "We need to retreat back."

"I refuse to drag this battle on any longer." Eve responded. "This ends here and now."

I felt my heart sinking in at the sight of the bottle flying through the air. The enemy Nasods didn't seem to notice (or care) about the tiny substance heading toward the target. I had to pry my attention away from the flying object as the Nasods on my side grew more aggressive. I stumbled back in response to their strengthened attacks-I had a feeling retreating would quickly become a problem.

The sound of glass shattering sounded faintly in the background of the raging battle, I wasn't sure if the bottle had hit the target but I could only pray that it had successfully spilled over the target.

"Magic Missile!" A blue energy orb slithered around the Nasods, dispelling them from my space for a brief moment.

Aisha kept summoning the blue orbs toward the crowd, the continuous attacks kept the Nasods distracted from us, we quickly took this chance to retreat from the group of Nasods. Aisha stopped summoning the attack once we had safely retreated behind her. She fell to her knees in exhaustion but kept a smile on her face at our safe arrival.

"I don't think it worked," Raven said after a moment of silence.

"It was a good try," I grinned. "That teamwork back there was amazing."

Heavy footsteps pounded from behind us, I didn't need to look back to know it was Elsword and Chung returning to our side.

"W-what's going on?" Elsword's voice piped in with worry.

"We gambled and we lost," Raven answered vaguely. He looked over at the two coloured extractors on the other side of the room, I saw his jaw line tightening," do we seriously need to run all the way over there?"

"The King can't be hurt by our attacks as long as his defence system is up-unfortunately it only appears when all the extractors are down." I clarified. I had a funny feeling Chung and Elsword weren't filled in with the essential information. "The only problem is the King can recover the extractors with the El Shard."

"And those Nasods won't leave the weak point," Aisha added grimly.

"Do you pitiful humans think you can defeat me?" The King laughed. I felt my legs trembling as he raised his hand over us, the shadow of his massive hand looming hungrily over us like a hawk. "Eve, I will give you one more chance." He paused for a quick moment." You can leave these humans and join me in the revival of our Kingdom or you may share the same fate as these animals."

Eve scoffed," I would not join a ruler who kills his own. Your way of revival is hurting the Nasods, a tyrant like you should not deserve the title as 'King'." Though her words came out strong and brave I could see she was terrified, her hands shook beside her and her shoulders were almost up to her ears.

The King stared mutely at her as if waiting for her to change her hand. I felt my heart punching against my chest as the seconds dragged by, my head spun from the suffocating tension building up around us.

"So be it," the King spoke coldly. "From now on you shall go down in history as a traitor."

"Then a traitor I shall be." With a flash of light Oberon and Ophelia were summoned by her side. Both Nasod servants looked beaten and tired but despite their tattered appearance they stood proudly beside Eve. "But I will not go down without a fight."

The King shook with laughter. For a brief second I thought I could smell something burning but I shrugged it off as a result from one of the defeated enemy Nasods.

"S-so we're gonna try to fight back that hand?" Elsword asked, perking his head up at the giant palm hovering over us.

"Better than standing around to die," Raven answered.

"We shall attack as one," Eve proclaimed proudly-her response only made the King laugh. "Yes, we will die regardless of what we do, our weapons will clash against his palm without making a scratch but at least we will be able to die as warriors."

_You foolish kids! _Eun growled. _I cannot believe you choose to end your life in a battle like this._

'We have no chance of winning, Eun. We'll either die as cowards or as proud knights.' I felt my eyes stinging. 'Sorry I failed you. I understand if you don't want to help us.'

Eun didn't respond. I didn't need to ask Eun any more questions to know it'll try to find a way to save us-I just have to hope I can fight off its control, the last thing I want to do is run away to safety while my friends are being crushed under a giant metal hand.

"Prepare your weapons." Eve commanded-in unison we averted our attention up and prepared ourselves to attack. "Raven, power the team up with the El Shard. I want our final attack to be our very best."

Right on queue I felt the Shard's power surging through my body. I knew I could land a decent attack on the hand even without Eun's help, the Shard alone was enough.

"I will commend you for your courage," the King commented amusingly. "You are your pathetic team will surely go down in history as the bravest fools to ever face me."

"Give it everything you got," Eve said, ignoring the King's comment. Oberon swept her off her feet with one hand and crouched down, preparing to spring into the air. "Attack!"

I launched into the air with a burst of wind, Elsword, Eve (along with her two servants), and Raven leaped up with me while Chung and Aisha stayed behind to attack from afar. Within seconds blue missiles and fireballs were launched toward the King's hand, their attacks thread in between us and rushed toward the metal palm-they made contact with the metal hand first. Clouds of smoke erupted from the contact of the attacks, the King cried out in response.

I didn't give much thought to his reaction as I was busy readying myself for my attack," Moonlight Slash!" I swung my spear in a circular motion at the hand, my heart skipped a beat as I felt the blade of my weapon cutting through the metal surface.

I quickly retreated back and landed on my feet, a burst of wind encircled me on my way down and cushioned my landing. I watched as Elsword, Eve (Oberon and Ophelia were doing most of the work), and Raven finished their close up attacks, all their weapons had successfully penetrated through the metal palm.

_We did damage to the King. _Eun gasped, I felt its familiar power sparking to life. _We may have a chance at beating him. _

The King quickly retreated his hand back and clasped it tightly shut. At the corner of my eyes I could make out the distress among the enemy Nasods. Many of them had averted their attention to the injured King thus leaving them vulnerable to further attacks.

"Does that mean the acid worked?" I asked, swaying my newly emerged fox tails excitedly.

"Most likely," Raven answered with a grin. "We're finally on even playing grounds." He prepared himself to launch into another attack.

"The King may be vulnerable to physical attacks but he still has an advantage in size." Eve added as her two servants vanished with a flash of light. "Those who can attack from far away should focus on attacking the giant red orb in his chest, others should focus on protecting them and attacking the hands."

"Sounds like a plan," Aisha chimed in.

The King slammed his fist onto the ground causing a quake to spread through the battlefield, we managed to keep our balance and ensured through the shock wave. Once the ground had settled Aisha, Chung, and Raven proceeded to attack the King's orb with long-range attacks. Eve, Elsword, and I kept ourselves ready to defend against his metal hands.

Unfortunately the King quickly caught onto our plan of attack and covered his chest with both hands. Though he was able to successfully shield his chest from us he was forced to sacrifice the condition of his hands-it was only a matter of time before both hands were destroyed. After several more hits were endured Nasod King cried out in anger and slammed one fist onto the ground while leaving the other hand over his chest. He repeatedly hit the ground wit his fist, forcing our attackers to stop and find balance. The battle between the Nasods was also forced to a stop in response to the tremors, some of his Nasods soldiers begged him to stop while others had called a silence truce as they helped one another stay balanced.

It felt like forever before the ground had settled down but we were far from being safe. Just as we were ready to breathe a sigh of relief the King hovered his fist over us and pressed down. I was sure we were going to die at that instant. I felt my blood turning ice cold and my legs melting into jelly as that fist came crashing down.

"Cut Tendon!" Raven leaped into the air and swiped his sword across the fist. The El Shard amplifying his power caused a strong gust of wind to blow the hand back, a couple metal fingers were chopped off as a result of the added power.

"T-thanks, Raven," I managed to say once the threat was gone.

"No problem," he answered with eyes glued onto the King. "We need to endure this for just a bit longer, this hunk of metal should be getting tired by now."

Aisha and the others took this a a queue to resume attacking again. I glanced over at the group of Nasods, very few of them were engaged in battle anymore, only a couple loyal soldiers had resumed their fight. Those who refused to fight spoke quietly with their enemy, thanking them for helping them when the tremor had occurred.

"You Majesty, it is now my turn to negotiate with you." Eve spoke up-those attacking the King took that as a sign to cease their fight. "The Nasods on both sides are tired," she gestured to Nasods. "Very few are engaged in combat anymore. Both sides have lost precious allies and both sides have helped each other during your fit of rage."

The King seemed to stiffen at Eve's comment. I was half expecting him to attack Eve but he remained silent.

"Surrender the item that gives you power to us and we promise to end this battle." Eve went on calmly. "I will allow you to keep the throne as long as you agree to a peaceful future for Nasods and the outside world."

The room fell in an eerie silence. From the moment we stepped in we heard nothing but battle cries and colliding attacks, it was a bit unsettling to be dosed in silence-even the loyal Nasod soldiers had stopped attacking to hear their King's answer. I silently counted the seconds in my head, the longer the silence lasted the more viscous the tension grew.

"I never thought my own soldiers would be such a failure," the King muttered after some time had passed. Some of the Nasods gasped at their King's comment-I could see Eve's hands tightening into fists in response. "Nasods will not be able to get our well-deserved power and revenge with those weaklings."

I was abruptly forced onto my back as a red aura burned through the room. My head spun at the suffocating power surging from the King-the temperature in the room began to rise drastically making it difficult to breath.

"If my weak army cannot even fight traitors like you then I must eliminate them." A red light filled the room as pillars of fire began to burst spontaneously from the ground.

I quickly scrambled to my feet and examined the room. Nasods, from both sides, were now running frantically around the room trying to avoid the randomly spawned pillars of fire. The King himself was also engulfed in flames, but it didn't appear the fire was harming him-they seemed to be powering him up instead. The only exit was now engulfed in angry red flames and I doubted the Wind Shard would be able to put it out.

I didn't hesitate to jump to my right when I felt something hot under my left foot. I barely avoided the pillar of fire bursting from where I once stood.

"W-we were so close," I heard Aisha crying. "I can't believe we're going to die like this."

"It's going to be okay," I turned to see Elsword pulling Aisha into a hug. She didn't argue as she snuggled her face into his chest. "W-we'll be okay, I-I promise." He said, as if trying to convince himself.

Chung collapsed onto his knees and cursed," I'm getting flashbacks to Bethma." He leaned his weight onto his cannon to help keep himself up.

I felt a lump forming at the back of my throat and hurried beside him. I didn't say anything to him as I collapsed beside him and wrapped my arms around him. His body tensed at the embrace but soon relaxed and returned the gesture. My heart was running a thousand miles and my brain kept telling me to do something-to face the King myself, but I knew that would be a fruitless task. There was no way I could defeat the King, not in a state like this.

"Not even the Wind Shard is helping," I heard Raven mumble just as he fell into a coughing fit.

Chung abruptly pulled me to the side as another pillar of fire rose, I could feel its heat grazing against my foot.

"I-I don't feel the heat," Eve stammered. I lifted my head up to face her, she was the only one who didn't look bothered from the blistering heat-the pendant she picked up earlier shown brightly around her neck.

"That pendant," I heard Chung whispering to himself.

I screamed as a pillar of fire abruptly engulfed Eve. Chung quickly took notice to my response and tightened his grip around me as if trying to comfort me.

"No," I cried, allowing the tears to flow free from my eyes. "Eve..."

At that moment it felt like someone tore my heart out and ripped it in two. The images of her helpless figure being swallowed up by the hungry flames kept replaying in my mind forcing me to relive her death over and over again.

"I wish I could kill that scrap of metal." Chung seethed through clenched teeth. I felt him pulling me closer to him. "I can't believe he just did that."

Aisha screamed into Elsword's chest while he remained silent, with arms still around her and a tightened jaw line.

"Do not fear," Eve's voice sounded calmly-I watched with widened eye as she walked nonchalantly out of the fire, only the edge of her clothes showed visible signs of damage. The pendant around her neck was now a burning flame but it didn't seem to be hurting her.

"Ignis' power is protecting me," she placed a hand over the open flame and smiled. "And I know what Ignis would want me to do if he were here." She continued to smile as tears began to stream down her face.

I felt my stomach twisting in response, something tells me she's about to do something really risky.

"I am forever grateful for everyone's support," she closed her eyes as a pink aura erupted around her. "I will never forget the kindness you all have shown me and my Nasods."

"E-Eve," Raven spoke in between coughs. "W-what are you doing?"

"Please help keep peace between the Nasods and the outside world," she went on, ignoring Raven's question. "I want a world where Nasods can live outside of this island without taking drastic measures."

"Eve," Elsword joined in stiffly. "You better not be doing what I think you're doing."

Aisha lifted her head up from Elsword chest to face Eve. "Eve, p-please." She cried helplessly. "Y-you're my good friend...you can't..." She couldn't finish before bursting into sobs.

"C-Chung?" I whispered, I could feel my hands trembling. "W-what's Eve going to do?"

"Something stupid," he answered bluntly. I wanted to ask him to elaborate but I decided to keep quiet once I saw the tears swelling up in his eyes.

"There is a Nasod Servant who exceeds the power of both Ophelia and Oberon combined." Pink electric sparks began to emit from her aura as her magic level was quickly growing more concentrated; for a second I thought she had the El Shard in hand.

"She's actually going to do it." Chung blurted quietly-once again I had to bite my tongue and hold back the questions.

"A servant who even exceeds the combined powers of both Ignis and Leviathan." The electric sparks grew more violent, the amount of magic she was building up was nothing I've ever seen before-it made me wonder why she didn't reveal such a power sooner. "He is the only one who can finish this fight."

I could see Raven scrambling to his feet and rushing toward Eve. He clenched his teeth as electric sparks generated from her slithered up his leg and through his body but that alone wasn't enough to stop him.

"I awaken thee, Code: Thunder-" Raven managed to force himself through the pink electric field and collided his fist into the side of Eve's face-I instantly felt my jaw dropping at his action. Almost instantly the magic Eve had built up dispersed along with the electric field. I felt Chug relaxing once it was gone.

"I-I'm sorry," he responded almost instantly-he held onto her to keep her from stumbling back, once she was balanced he quickly retracted his hands away. "There wasn't any other way to stop you."

Eve bowed her head and placed her hand over the injured cheek," why?" Her voice came out weak and defeated. "That is our only chance at winning."

"Will you stop acting like the hero?" He snapped, she flinched at his raised voice. "I don't care how powerful this servant is, I won't allow you to risk your life like that."

"But-"

"If the King wants to fight with an El Shard, so be it." He coughed. "We have one too and we can use it instead."

"That is a dangerous-"

"Using that much magic is dangerous," he cut her off hastily. He took her by the hand with the Wind Shard resting between their palms, almost instantly the Shard's power stirred with excitement. "_We're _going to use this El Shard to boost ourselves up, I'll keep us safe while you go for the chest. Since your drones aren't working I'll let you have the El Shard as a weapon, you can also have Oberon and Ophelia help but do not summon that third servant, understand?"

Eve lowered her eyes and gently wrapped her fingers around Raven's hand," why do you care about my well-being so much?" She whispered.

"Because you stuck with me through my fight," he answered almost instantly. He averted his eyes to the side. "And uh it's 'cause you're an important friend."

I felt a goofy smile stretch on my face at the sound of his sweet response.

Eve smiled and (using her other hand) she snapped her fingers together. With a flash of light her two battered Nasod servants appeared beside her; both servants readied themselves to jump into action despite their tattered state. "I will go along with your plan, Raven." She took the Shard out of Raven's hand. "I hope this plan works."

Raven's face instantly lit up at her cooperation," t-that's great," he stammered.

"You two should hurry!" Elsword piped in as he pulled himself and Aisha away from a rising column of fire.

"Elsword is correct," Eve turned to face the enraged King. "We should finish this."

Raven nodded pointed his sword toward the King," ready when you are, Your Majesty." He added with another violent cough.

For a brief moment I saw Eve's cheeks redden in response, her eyes brightening with a new light at the way he addressed her. She quickly shook it off before anyone else could notice and averted her attention back to their target. Her shoulders rose up then relaxed. She held up the El Shard over her head and allowed its power to flow between her, Raven, and her two Nasod servants.

Each of them were wrapped in a light blue aura as the air began to circulate around them-the stirring wind excited the flames around further but it also gave us a brief moment to cool off. We called out our final 'good lucks' to them just as they were sent flying toward the King with a burst of wind, sparks of orange light flew back at us as a result of the wind boosting them up.

I felt my already heated face burn up further as Chung wrapped his arms protectively over me, as if trying to protect me from the heated sparks.

Oberon, Ophelia, and Raven positioned themselves in front of Eve while she lagged behind to find an opening to the King's chest. The King took quick notice to their arrival and responded by hurling his fist at them. Oberon was the first to respond, he jumped in front of the fist and collided his sword into it. The impact between the two objects created a shock wave which sent Oberon flying back into the wall and caused the King's hand to collapse inward, rendering it useless . My eyes followed the Nasod servant as he was slammed violently against the metal wall and fell limply to the ground-he didn't respond any further.

I held back the urge to curse and mutely turned my attention back to my friends. Agitated at their successful defence the King foolishly lifted his from his chest and hurled another fist toward them. Raven readied himself to defend against it but Ophelia took action first. She hurried in front of the incoming fist, and with a blink of an eye, launched a pink electric ball at her target. Just like Oberon she had successfully destroyed the hand but was forced back into wall as a result-I couldn't hold myself back from cursing when Ophelia fell lifelessly on the ground. At this point I was quickly growing hysteric

"We're gonna be okay," Chung said calmly. "The fire is getting weaker."

He was right. The rising columns of fire had ceased its attack on us only leaving behind its red flames burning throughout the battlefield. Though the fire attacks had ceased we were still trapped in a room filled with smoke and heat, we may not die from the fire itself but we may die from the fumes it produced.

"Or the King could be concentrating his power on Eve." I pointed out. It wasn't a nice thought but it could be a very valid possibility.

"Stop," he coughed. "They'll be fine."

"But-"

"Just believe in them," he cut me off softly, he rested his head on my back-I felt my already heated face burn up further.

A part of me wanted to ask if he was okay but I knew this wasn't the time to worry about him. I had to worry about Raven and Eve first-it's the least I could do while they risked their lives to fight the King.

"Raven, create an incision!" Eve's order sounded loudly.

The King cried out in anger, the flames resting on his metal body grew more vigorous in response to his rage. Even from afar I could feel the heat of his anger burning on my body but the heat alone wasn't enough to hold Raven back.

With a second of hesitation Raven launched forward following out Eve's order," Sonicwave - Cutter!" He slashed his sword forward creating a blue shock wave toward the King's chest. The shock wave collided with the giant red orb on his chest without a problem, the impact of the attack shoved the King back-the metal wall behind him dented upon impact.

Just like the two servants Raven was also sent flying back but he was fortunately saved by Eve who catch him with the power of the wind. Once he was safely placed on the ground she returned her attention to the King-the King was still disoriented from the collision with the wall.

Eve quickly took this chance to launch herself forward, the aura surrounding her seemed to burned brighter as she approached closer to her target. As if sensing an incoming attack the flames burning on the King's body began migrating toward his wound. I wasn't sure if the flames could heal the damage inflicted on him but it wouldn't surprise me if it could.

The air seemed to thicken as the flames covered more the injury-Eve seemed too far away to make her target. Several Nasods called for her to turn back, even some enemy Nasods begged her not to go for the kill but she ignored them. With the El Shard burning in her grasp and eyes burning with courage she dove straight into the red orb with a trail of blue light following behind her.

An eerie silence fell over the burning battlefield once she was inside-even the King was quiet. Aisha whispered each passing second to herself, her voice grew more shaky as the numbers began to stack up.

"Arghh!" The King abruptly howled, his sudden outburst made me scream. He slammed his body around his confided space, indenting the metal walls further with each hit.

It took me a second to realize what was bothering him. The flames that had generously aided in the battle had finally turned against him while the flames that had tried to kill us began to disperse into small orange particles.

"She did it," I blurted with a toothy smile. "S-she did it!"

"Told you so," Chung chuckled. "Our Eve isn't that soft."

The room trembled once again in response to the King's trashing. He slammed his massive body mercilessly around the room in attempts to put out the famished fire, but his movements only seemed to make the fire grow stronger. Just as I was sure the entire core would collapse from his reckless movements he began to slow down, the ground trembled less and less as his energy began to die out.

"Why?" He wheezed as his body slumped helplessly down against the damaged wall. "Why...do you wish for us Nasods...to continue this suppressed life? Why did you...betray us like that?"

With a flash of orange light the King's central orb shattered into pieces with Eve emerging harmlessly from the inside-the King seemed to stiffen at the sudden impact before relaxing and slumping down. In one hand she held the Wind Shard, which continued to supply her with the power to stay afloat in the air, while the other held the Fire Shard-the Fire Shard's light flickered with life in her hands.

"This is not the end to our kind, this is simply a start of a new era." She answered with a prideful smile. "This useless battle has finally ended and now we can start our era of peace. The children of the future will know a different world than we do-"she turned around to face the fallen King"-and you shall be remembered as an ignorant but ambitious hero."

* * *

**Thank you everyone for reading this massive chapter! Also thank you to everyone who followed/ favorited, it's so cool to see so many of you guys reading these! I'm definitely not the best author (far from it) but it means a lot to know people enjoy my works :)**

**The second chapter will be a bit late and when it comes out I have a few announcements. Until then stay awesome!**


	58. 58

Amos was the first one to greet us when we got back to the hideout. He greeted each of us with a tearful smile and a tight hug. Raven instantly told him how helpful his acid was and how it was the key component to our victory. Amos was smiling from ear to ear at the story and kept asking Raven for details of how his acid work. Raven happily entertained him while the rest of us went to clean up and prepared for bed.

The next few weeks following our victory was busy, to say the least. Establishing a new community between the Ponggos and Nasods proved to be difficult as many of the villagers were still upset at Eve's idea of sharing Altera-some of the King's loyal Nasods refused to follow Eve's new plan while other Nasods didn't want to be controlled by another ruler, fearing they'd be replaced again. Eve was caught up with negotiations and paperwork while the rest of us worked on building a new village up on the surface. Many Nasods helped with the work which drastically increased our process. Along the way several villagers offered to help and soon our building team consisted of both Nasods and Ponggos, both parties seemed to have moved on from their past and was ready for a new future. We also had the unfortunate job of searching for corpses in the burned village to bury, a big funeral was held for everyone who lost their lives during the attack. It wasn't easy to get through it and it certainly wasn't helpful to the Nasod-Ponggos relationships but at least the dead could be properly laid to rest.

Elsword quickly informed Lowe about our situation, and to our surprise, he generously offered to help us rebuild the village for the Ponggos and even offered us a free ride home when we were ready to leave. So that's how we spent the last of our days on Altera, building new houses and establishing new relationships between the villagers and their new neighbours-during the process a few talented Ponggos and Nasods got together and offered to help Eve repair her servants and drones. Eve was delighted to have both groups working together and allowed them to tamper with her servants as much as they please.

At some point during our stay Raven announced his decision of adopting Amos into our team. Aisha and Chung grew weary at the idea but soon came to an agreement as they both knew Amos had no place to go. We went to tell Amos the news the very next day, to say he was emotional over the news would be an understatement. Raven stayed with him for the remainder of the day while we went about our daily routine.

By the end of the month a majority of the village had been built and much of the relationships between Nasods and Ponggos have been mended. It seemed like Altera was finally at peace and we could return to Ruben without worrying about another war breaking out.

So here we were now, standing outside of the partially built village with a group of the villagers and Ponggos there to see us off. Eve was settling some final agreements with the Chief and a Nasod representative while Raven was still somewhere in the village helping Amos pack.

"The helicopter should be East of here," Elsword told us quietly, not wanting to distract the Chief and Eve. "It's a bit of a hike but we should be fine now."

"I hope Raven hurries up," Aisha said with hands on her hips. "How much does Amos need to pack anyways?"

"He's probably wanting to take as much as he can," I piped in while scratching the back on Yang's ear-the ancient Phoru wiggled its tail back and forth excitedly at the treatment. "Moving away from Altera is probably a scary change for him."

Aisha sighed and relaxed her arms," I guess I was being a bit harsh."

"You're always harsh," Elsword added with a wink-that earned him a punch to the chest from Aisha, unfortunately her actions only justified his claims.

"Sorry I'm late!" Raven's voice sounded from the crowd. He was quickly threading his way around the clustered group of Nasods and Ponggos, he had his heavy backpack on and Amos sitting on top of his shoulders.

"Is the little guy ready to move?" Chung asked once the duo had arrived.

"Yup," Amos answered as he was lifted off of Raven's shoulders. "I was so nervous last night I couldn't sleep well."

"So that's why you two were so late," Chung chuckled, ruffling the top of his fur. "You slept in."

Amos' grin only widened in response," maybe." He stretched the last part of the word.

"Everyone," Eve called out to us. We quickly quieted ourselves down and turned our attention to her, standing beside her was the Ponggo chief and a Nasod representative-her newly repaired drones hovered closely by her side. "These two would like to have a word to us." She said, turning herself around to face the two.

"Thank you, Your Highness." The Nasod bowed. "As a representative of the Nasods I would like to thank you all for sparing us. It was an honour to know our Queen was willing to keep us older models while welcoming the King's newly built Nasods. We hope to establish a strong relationship with our neighbours and we shall try to work with those who refuse to listen to another ruler."

I glanced over at Eve who was visibly smiling from ear to ear. It seemed like she had finally decided to throw away her usual poker face and emotionless act.

"I am honoured to have such a loyal and kind following." Eve answered, her voice beaming with joy.

"You may speak now," the Nasod motioned for the Ponggo to talk.

The Chief bobbed his head and averted his eyes on us, Eve and Raven seemed to stiffen as his gaze focused onto them," I'm quite shocked at the help you folks gave us." He began quietly. "I must apologize for our rude introduction, it was unfair for us to jump to quick conclusions."

Eve's shoulders relaxed," you are forgiven." She replied. "Especially given your situation, it is only natural to be against our stay."

"You are too kind, Your Majesty." The chief said-several villagers gasped in response. "This will certainly take some getting used to." He chuckled.

"You can continue to address me as Eve." She quickly added. "I am not running my Kingdom just yet."

"I understand, but you certainly deserve such a title." The Ponggo's eyes locked themselves onto Raven-Raven shuffled uncomfortably at his gaze. "Raven, is that correct?"

Raven bobbed his head," y-yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Look me in the eyes, boy." He commanded.

Raven took a sharp breath in before forcing his head up, his shoulders rose up to his ears once his eyes had met the Chief's. "You came to us a few years as a criminal," the Chief began stiffly. "But now you stand in front of us as a hero and guardian to one of our own."

"I-I know there's no way-" he stopped as the Chief held his hand up.

"It's hard for us to forgive you, Raven." He went on; his voice holding onto his cold demeanour. "I cannot speak for all my villagers, but I can speak for myself when I say I am willing to give you another chance." His eyes seemed to soften. "You risked your life for the peace of our island, as a Chief I cannot thank you enough for saving the island and my village."

"T-that shouldn't be a reason for you to forgive me." Raven replied weakly. "I only did one thing to help everyone. That alone shouldn't be enough to win over your forgiveness. I-I don't deserve your forgiveness until I do more."

"Oh?" The Chief crossed his arms together. "What can you, a human with no social status, do to help us any further?"

Several birds flew over us, their shrill voices called to one another as they flew by-oblivious to situation playing out below them.

"I can protect the one who can ensure you peace." He answered-the Chief's eyes lit up with interest at his answer. "I can fight and defend the precious Queen who will promote a brighter future."

"Raven, what are you implying?" Eve piped in. "I can protect myself just fine."

Without saying another word Raven rested himself on one knee and bowed his head," please allow me to be your royal guard, Your Highness." He requested loudly. "Allow me to help you make a path of peace-allow me to fight your battles and protect you from harm."

"Wow," Elsword blurted, causing several heads to turn to him. "I didn't expect that coming."

"Shut up," She snapped through clenched teeth. "You're ruining the moment."

Ignoring Elsword's outburst Eve replied calmly," I can take you as my royal guard, under one condition." She paused, allowing him to brace himself for the requirement. "You must give up your human desires, such as finding a human mate and producing a biological off-spring. You are to dedicate your entire life to me and my goal to walk the Nasods down a peaceful path. If you break these terms you will lose your title and shall be labelled as a traitor."

"I'll accept your terms." Raven answered almost instantly.

I'll admit it, his immediate response caught me off guard. I didn't think he would be able to come to such a quick agreement with those terms-there was just too much on the line. If it were me I would be stuck pondering on the pros and cons for weeks before coming to a final conclusion.

Eve tightened her lips together, as if anticipating for him to negotiate with her agreements. After a brief moment of silence had passed she held the back of her hand out to him," if you do not have any issues with my terms seal your promise with a kiss."

Raven slowly lifted his head up, his eyes locked onto Eve's hand without a hint of hesitation. The crowd seemed to lean in as he gently took her hand into his. He closed his eyes and softly pressed his lips onto the back of her hand. He held the kiss for several seconds before letting it go-several Nasods and Ponggos cheered once the deed was done.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." He said, letting go of Eve's hand.

"You can continue to call me by my name." She smiled softly. "I look forward to working with you."

"That was a brave, kid." The Chief commented with a toothy grin. "I look forward to seeing our Queen returning in one piece."

"Well, we should really get going now." Elsword said, clapping his hands loudly together. "I hope we can visit this island again. It's a really cool place when everyone's nice to each other."

"What a way to ruin the mood, Elsword." I laughed-Elsword frowned at my remark. "You just had to say it right after Raven became a royal guard."

"I just don't wanna keep our pilot dude waiting." He defended. "Lowe would give us an earful if the pilot complains about the wait."

"It's fine, man." Raven said as he helped himself back up. "We should start heading out now."

"Yay, it's time to ride on a helicopter!" Amos jumped excitedly. "I can't wait to see what flying is like!"

"Take good care of Amos," the Chief quickly added. "He needs all the love he can get."

"I promise we will take good care of him." Eve answered. "I will bring him along the next time we visit."

"Until then we all wish you a safe trip home." The villagers and Nasods cheered in agreement to the Chief response. "We'll all be awaiting your next visit."

* * *

We got an earful from Lowe the moment we stepped into the house. He rambled on about our dangerous decisions to take on the Nasods alone and our foolish plan to defeat the King without further reinforcements. Each of us kept our mouths sealed as he went on angrily, it took him half an hour to realize we had brought home a new friend. Needless to say, Lowe soon began to scold us on our decision of adopting a child. Raven and Eve quickly defended their decision which ultimately got Lowe to calm down and approve of our decision.

After our scolding had ended we were given community service for the remainder of the month to make up for our mistakes. None of us complained at the assigned tasks as they were much easier than fighting Nasods.

Echo offered to look after Amos when we were out and used that chance to help him improve on his alchemy skills. She would often praise his intelligence in front of us in which he responded with a compliment to her for teaching him.

For the next month and a half we fell back into our usual routine, only leaving Ruben occasionally to chase down a feisty criminal. When we weren't doing community service or sent out to take down some outlaw, we would sit around the dining table to discuss about possible El Shard sightings and locations. The information deprived would then be sent to Lowe who would send a team out to investigate-so far all the possible locations we listed came back with a negative response.

At one point I thought our search for the El Shards had run dry. I didn't expect any further events to shake our peaceful lives as our lives seemed to be heading down a peaceful road. Things didn't start escalating until the Harmony Festival began approaching-a time where peace was said to fall all throughout Elrois.

I had finished my community service early and was outside brushing Yang's fur when Aisha came running out of the house like a mad-man.

"Ara, we need to have a girl-talk!" Aisha yelled with flustered red cheeks. Her abrupt entry jolted Yang awake, I scratched the back of its ear in hopes of calming it back down.

"What?" I asked once Yang had lowered its guard.

She grabbed my hand," t-there's no time to explain."

Before I could ask her to elaborate she pulled me away from Yang and practically dragged me inside the house. When I was inside I noticed Eve was sitting with hands folded on the dining table, Amos sat beside her with eyes scanning the book Echo lent him.

"Is there a reason why only we were called?" Eve asked once we were all seated around the table.

"Yes," Aisha answered almost instantly. "As you all know the Harmony Festival is quickly approaching, a-and Elsword told me some exciting news."

I saw Eve's eyes sparking with interest," exciting news, eh?" She smiled slyly. "Is this the moment where your relationship evolves?"

Aisha folded her lips tightly together as her cheeks flared up into a deeper shade of red. She stiffened her shoulders and replied," I-I don't know." She whispered. "H-he told me his sister finally returned from her mission and that he was going to go home during the festival."

Amos' ears twitched in response to Aisha's story-I had a feeling he wasn't interested in his book anymore.

"H-he mentioned something about b-being scared of losing me during our fight in the core." She lowered her gaze. "A-and that after it was over h-he knew what he had to do." Her hands clenched into tight fists. "So he a-asked me out to dinner."

"That's so sweet, Aisha." I squealed, that only made her blush deepen. "Do you know where you'll be going?"

She shook her head," he told me i-it was somewhere really fancy, but I don't have anything nice to wear."

"Then we must go on a quest to find a perfect dress for your date." Eve shot up from her seat.

"B-but I don't have the money to-"

"I do," Eve cut her off. "Unlike you I save my earnings. Now get up and let us hurry out, it would be a shame if you weren't ready by tonight."

"But, Eve, you promised you'd stay here with me." Amos lifted his from the book and stared at Eve with misty eyes. "I don't ever see you or Raven anymore."

Eve's eyes soften on the Ponggo," I'm sorry, Amos." She ruffled the top of his head. "I know I have been a bad guardian lately. If you wish you may come along with me."

"I wanna stay here," he protested. "I don't wanna go out."

Eve sighed and knelled down to his eye level," if you don't want to go then you'll need to stay with Echo."

"But Echo has been super busy with something," he pointed out-a droplet of tear streamed down the side of his face. "She looks really worried about something and I feel bad for bothering her."

"Amos..."

"I-I feel lonely." He lowered his head and sniffed. "I know everyone is super busy and that they still care, but things aren't the same without Agatha. I-I really miss her."

"I'm so sorry," Eve pulled him into a hug. He wrapped his tiny arms around her and began to cry.

I felt my heart aching for him as he bawled onto Eve's shoulder. It's easy to forget how scary life was for Amos now. To us things have been falling back to normal pace, we didn't have to adjust to a new environment and we certainly didn't need to cope with a recent loss of a loved one.

"I'll go," Amos said in between sobs.

"You don't have to," Eve whispered to him. "We can stay here instead. Aisha and Ara go shopping by themselves."

Amos shook his head and broke the hug," I know I haven't been going out lately, and I think Raven would be happy if I went." He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands.

"Thank you, Amos." Eve wiped a few stray tears dry with her thumb. "After we can go to the book store and see if there's anything you like." Amos grinned in response.

"I'm gonna go wash my face first." Amos hopped out of his seat and rushed upstairs for the bathroom, his haste footsteps howled loudly above us.

"He is a brave kid," Eve said once he was gone. "But he is just a scared little boy in the end."

"You and Raven should spend more..."I paused to find the correct wording. "Um 'family' time with him. He really needs people to support him, especially at a time like this."

When I was little I wanted nothing more than a mom and dad to hug me and tell me I was okay. The people who looked after me in the many orphanages I was placed in were nice and gave me proper care, but they could never provide me with the comfort of love-the lack of love only amplified my loneliness.

"I have been thinking that myself, perhaps I should have a chat with Raven when he returns." She glanced at the kitchen clock and sprung up to her feet. "We should hurry and leave soon. The faster we can pick a dress the faster we can get you ready for your date."

* * *

Aisha teleported us the the closest mall the instant Amos had finished washing his face. We practically ran to the nearest clothing store when we stepped into the building. As a team we searched throughout the store for any potential dresses, we forced Aisha into a fitting room when we found one and practically forced her out once we had decided the dress wasn't a match for her.

Amos politely stayed quiet as we barrelled through the many clothing stores, at one point he joined Eve and helped her search for clothes. After what felt like hours of searching through the ocean of stores we finally came across a store filled with nothing but dresses. Eve and I took no time to pick out our selection for Aisha (and even a few for ourselves), we were all in changing rooms within minutes upon entering.

"How do I look?" I walked out of my fitting room and spun on my toes-my short navy blue dress flowing along with my movement.

"You look fantastic," Eve beamed beside me.

I felt my jaw dropping at Eve's appearance. She had on a strapless white gown which hugged perfectly against her body, the pair of silver heels she picked peeked out from under her gown-she had also decided to let her silver hair down, the ends of it barely reaching down to her hips. The fire pendant she wore ruined the look a bit, but she looked stunning none the less.

"Eve, you look gorgeous." I awed with jaw still dropped.

"I think everyone looks good," Amos commented from the chair he was sitting in, his tiny feet dangling off the ground.

"Thank you, Amos." Eve curtsied.

"Aisha, are you done yet?" I called out to her. "We're all out here already."

"I-I'm sorry." She stammered from the inside of her changing room. "Not everyone can change at sonic speed."

She cracked open the door and sheepishly made her way out. Eve and I exchanged approving glances once we had a good look at her dress. She wore a dark purple gown with the ends barely touching the ground; a jewelled waistband hugged comfortably around her body.

"We found our match," I beamed-Eve nodded in response.

"D-do you think he'll like it?" Her cheeks flared to a light shade of pink.

"He'll love it," Eve reassured. "Now change back to your usual clothes and wait for me by the cash register. I'm planning to buy everyone their picked dresses."

"Eve, you can't-"

"I have enough money to pay for everyone. Besides, it has been forever since we had bought something nice for ourselves." Eve cut me off. "Now hurry and change back."

I quickly thanked her and hurried back into my change room. Aisha and I hesitantly handed our outfits to her once we were all out but we didn't comment any further as we followed her mutely to the check out line. We stood stiffly as we watched the numbers go up on the cash register, each time the digit rose I felt my guilt growing stronger.

"We really need to pay her back," Aisha whispered.

"I know," I answered while glancing behind us. A lady waiting from behind also had her eyes locked on the rising price, the expression on her face reflected the same shock I felt.

Aisha opened her mouth to say something but didn't get a chance to say it as something suddenly felt off-like a magical imbalance. The gut wrenching feeling we got could only be described as the sudden falling sensation you'd sometimes feel just as you fall asleep leaving you in petrifying terror. Aisha held onto my arm and squeezed it tightly as the magic level gradually settled down, leaving behind a unshakable headache.

"W-what's happening?" Aisha mused with eyes scanning around the store.

"I-I don't know." I answered, I could see a few shocked costumers frozen in place while others (who were more oblivious to magic) went about their business around the store.

The abrupt magical imbalance soon wore off, taking away the tension it brought along with it. Soon the store was free from the strange sensation but something still didn't feel right. There was still something here.

"Ara," Aisha whispered. "I can feel the strange aura." She swallowed. "T-the same aura from Altera."

I bit down on my tongue as I had the urge to blurt out Scarlet's name. Raven and I never mentioned Scarlet after the Nasod King was defeated. We didn't feel the need to mention our new "friend" since she played no evident role in the events that took place.

"I'll see if there's anything out there," I volunteered idly. "You can stay here with Eve, I have Eun to protect me."

Aisha furrowed her brows," if you say so." She continued to scan the store with frantic eyes. "Just don't do anything stupid." She hesitantly let go of my arm.

I bobbed my head and began my way out, briefly scanning over the store along the way. I stepped outside the store and quickly noted the strengthened aura-it didn't take long for me to spot the scarlet haired girl staring at a display few stores down.

I relaxed my shoulder's at the familiar face and made my toward her, Eun growled with discomfort as we drew closer to her.

"Scarlet," I called out to her.

Scarlet's eyes widened at her name," Ara?" She turned on her heels to face me. A large toothy smile stretched on her unusually pale face," I can't believe it's you." She bounced with excitement.

Just like before she wore a black robe, but this time with the hood down with the ends of her hair tucked into the robe. I didn't notice it before, but her eyes were sharp and sparked with an unreadable emotion.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying not to sound disturbed by the daunting magical aura following her.

"I decided to integrate myself back into human life," she explained. "I concluded that window shopping would be a good chance to help myself be around people again."

"I'm so happy you decided to be around other people again." My comment seemed to make her smile wider. "Did you find anything you like?"

She bobbed her head and pointed to the display window," I love that red scarf." She beamed. "I've been drooling rainbows for at least five minutes."

She's as energetic as ever, I thought. Maybe I should get that that scarf for her. I doubt she's been able to wear anything nice through her days of travel.

"I can buy it for you," I offered.

She instantly shook her head at my offer," I can't spend your money." She gazed over at the scarf. "It's a beautiful scarf but I can't use someone else's money to buy it."

"Don't worry about it," I reassured with a smile. "Think of it as a gift for welcoming you back from your travels."

_You are far too nice, Child. _

"Ara..." her eyes gleamed at my offer.

"Come on," I linked arms with her and dragged her in the store.

"Ara, you don't understand." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "I don't have any money to pay you back with."

"Don't worry about it," I answered. "It's my gift to you."

She continued to argue with my decision as we navigated through the store. Her unusual dressing choice earned us a few stares along the way but that didn't seem to bother her, the only thing she cared about was the money used on her gift.

"Y-you don't have to buy it." I held her back as the cashier took the scarf and scanned it. I smiled apologetically to the employee and took out my wallet.

"I told you not to worry about it," I laughed, handing the money over-the cashier chuckled at us as they placed the scarf into a small bag "You looked like you were really interested in that scarf."

"I wasn't _that _interested."

"Didn't you say you were drooling rainbows over it?" I reminded her as cashier handed over the scarf to me. I quickly thanked them and dragged Scarlet back out.

"I didn't mean-"

"Stop fusing over it," I forced the bag into her hands. "You have the scarf now so smile a little. It really wasn't that expensive."

Scarlet's eyes trailed down to the bag. She hugged the bag tightly into her chest as if fearing it'll fly off if she didn't have a strong grasp over it," thank you." She sniffed-streaks of tears streamed from her eyes. "Y-you don't know how much this means to me."

"If there's anything else you need feel free to ask me," I paused for a second. "Umm it'll be kinda hard since you don't have a phone."

Scarlet giggled," we'll be able to cross paths again." She used one hand to wipe her face dry. "I should be going now. There's still so much I need to see."

"Okay, take care of yourself." I said with a wave.

She smiled back at me and turned around," oh, and before I forget," she quickly added. This time her voice had lost all the blissfulness it had held just seconds ago. "The duo I mentioned before have become more active. That magical disturbance you felt was caused by them, it's only a matter of time before they launch their attack. " I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rising at the information. "Stay safe at night, Ara, you never know when they'll strike."

Without another word Scarlet skipped her way toward the opposite direction. I watched as she disappeared around the corner with her gift still tightly held in her hands. A part of me was skeptical at her warning but another part wanted to believe her allegations.

_She has no physical evidence of such a threat. How can we believe her? _

'I know what you mean, Eun, but would it really be unusual for someone out there to cause havoc; especially with the El Shards still free throughout Elrois?'

_I suppose you are right, but I still do not trust this Scarlet person. _

'Say what you will about her, Eun. I think she's a pretty cool person.'

Eun scoffed, _whatever. We should return to your friends, they must be worried about you._

"Is Aisha done yet?" Elsword complained from the bottom of the stairs-he was dressed in a simple black suit with a red tie. "We're gonna be late."

"She's almost done," I reassured him. Eve made me do guard duty while she helped Aisha put on some finishing touches. My only job was to make sure Elsword stayed downstairs but that quickly grew tiring as he kept complaining every five minutes.

I would've appreciated if Raven and Chung had helped keep Elsword company but neither of them wanted to deal with him. Raven was playing video games with Amos while Chung disappeared out in the backyard.

"Dude, give her some time." Raven commented from the living room. He was sat on the floor with Amos who was focused on playing a racing game.

"I've been giving her some time," he whined. "She's taking forever."

Aisha's bedroom door squeaked open. I looked behind to see Aisha walking out with her newly bought dress, her hair was tied back into a bun, and a silver necklace gleamed brightly around her neck. Eve and I looked hideous in our pyjamas compared to her.

"Your date is here," Eve announced from behind her.

I grinned widely as Elsword's eyes widened at Aisha. She gingerly made her way down the stairs with a smile stretched across her face. Eve and I watched excitedly once she had made the last step. Elsword snapped out of his daze and approached her with reddened cheeks.

"You look beautiful tonight." He said, taking her hand into his.

Aisha's shoulders rose at his action," t-thanks." She stammered. "You look really handsome tonight."

They didn't exchange any further words as their eyes stayed locked onto one another, both of them exchanging words unknown to us by just their gaze.

"Get a room," Raven snapped them out of their moment. "Spare the kid's innocent eyes, man."

Elsword rolled his eyes but didn't comment any further. He unlocked the front door and opened it for Aisha," ladies first." He gestured her out.

Aisha thanked him before stepping outside. Elsword didn't bother saying good bye to us as he eagerly followed her out-forgetting to lock the door along the way.

"I hope they have a good time," I hopped down the stairs to lock the door.

"I hope so too," Eve made her way down and gazed over at Amos and Raven. Both of them were now engaged in the racing game, from the looks of it Raven was winning. "I am going to join them in their game- "she turned to me"-do you wish to come along?"

I shook my head," I'm just gonna catch some air in the backyard."

"Suit yourself," she shrugged.

I wished her good luck and made my out the back. The first thing I saw when I stepped out was Chung, he was seated by the river side with Yang snuggled beside him. I felt my body stiffen as he turned his head to face me, locking eyes with me. His gaze made my thoughts run wild and my heart jumped with excitement. He gestured me to sit by him before turning his attention back to the flowing river. I swallowed and forced my legs to walk toward him.

"It's a nice night," I said, sitting myself down beside hit.

"It's peaceful," he commented with eyes locked onto the passing river water. "Elsword negotiated with Lowe to let him take Aisha to the city by helicopter."

"Really?" I asked incredulously.

He bobbed his head," he dragged me along to help him."

"Did you?"

He chuckled," I stood there and watched as he stumbled on his words, it was hilarious."

"Well aren't you a nice friend," I mumbled, wrapping my arms around myself as the coolness of the night began to envelope me.

"So um I have something for you." He scratched the back of his head. "But you'll need to close your eyes."

"Why?" I raised my brow suspiciously at him. "Are you gonna attack me or something?"

"No," he turned his attention back on me and smiled-I felt my body warming at his gesture. "Just trust me on this."

"Alright then," I snapped my eyes shut. "If you attack me Eun will go full out on you."

"Calm down, Ara, I'm not gonna hurt you." He laughed-I could hear him shuffling around.

I felt my entire face heating as something cold rubbed against my neck. I held onto my breath as I felt his hands brush my hair aside to adjust whatever he just put around my neck.

"Okay," he allowed the object to dangle freely from my neck-in an instant I felt the coolness of the night disappear. "You can look now."

I opened my eyes and felt a goofy smile stretch across my lips at the glowing blue pendant dangling from my neck. It was in the shape of a tear drop with strangely realistic air bubbles on the inside.

"The Nasod guard we fought dropped it," he explained. "I thought it'd look perfect on you."

He thought it'd look perfect on me? I screamed to myself mentally. This has got to be the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.

"Thank you so much, Chung." I pulled him into a hug. "I love it so much."

"I told you blue looked nice on you." He added. "Aren't you glad you didn't buy that other necklace in Altera?"

I rolled my eyes and pulled away from him, but before I could retreat back Chung held onto the hand closest to him. Flashbacks from our first night at the hideout played through my head as he intertwined his fingers with mine.

"I'm cold," he blurted without looking me in the eye. "I uh hope you don't mind."

"I-I don't mind," I instinctively answered. "I can keep you warm i-if you want."

"That'd be nice." He answered with a yawn.

I scooted myself closer to him until we were practically leaning on one another. Being the shorter one in the situation I decided to rest my head on his shoulder and allowed myself to relax in the comfort of his warmth.

"I hope you actually forgave me for...y'know." He gently rested his head on top of mine.

"I did forgive you," I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'm glad we aren't like that anymore."

"Same," his grip on my hand tightened, sending sparks flying up my arm.

"D-do you mind if we stay like this for a bit longer?" I asked sheepishly.

"I basically slept with you on my shoulder before," he reminded me with a light-hearted chuckle. "I don't mind keeping you around."

I didn't like being reminded of our little "sleepover" that one time in the hideout-I could still remember the embarrassment Aisha and Elsword put me through, but that didn't matter at this point. The only thing that's important is that he was here, with me, and nobody was there to rip us apart.

**It's a long and uneventful chapter, I know. But as the saying goes, calm before the storm...right? ;)**

**Oh and a quick announcement. The next story will be my last and this one will involve the other two couples I promised to write about. It'll be shorter (hopefully) than this one, but I don't have a release date for it yet. It's a very hard story to plan and I'll need some time to perfect everything. Thank you for your support and patience! As always, stay awesome! **


	59. 59

_"Mother, why is Aren sad?" I asked as I watched Mother cook dinner. My tummy growled at the soup she was stirring up but I was too concerned about my big brother to care about my hungry stomach._

_"He's just been through a break up." She said with her back turned to me. She stirred the soup a couple more times before scooping up a small sample to taste._

_"Break up?" I quoted curiously. "Did he break something important?"_

_Mother giggled," sort of." She reached for the salt and began sprinkling it into the soup. "He didn't break anything physically but he is certainly hurting on the inside."_

_"So he broke a bone?"_

_"You'll understand when you're older, Ara." She answered idly. "Why don't you go see how he's doing? I'm sure he'll appreciate your company."_

_I bobbed my head and ran toward his closed room. Normally I'd knock before entering as Aren hated people barging into his room unannounced, but today I felt like surprising him. I rose to my tippy toes as I drew closer to his bedroom. I held back a giggle as I gingerly placed my hand on the door knob. I quietly counted to three and flung his door open, he popped up from bed just as I ran in and tackled him with a hug._

_"Why didn't you knock?" He asked with a sniffle._

_"Were you crying, Aren?" I released him from my grip and examined his eyes, they were still a bit wet and poofy._

_"No," he quickly rubbed his reddened eyes dry. "I just have allergies."_

_"Liar," I frowned. "You were crying."_

_"Whatever," he fell back on his bed and closed his eyes. "Get out of here, monkey. I'm not in a mood to play."_

_"You meanie," I punched him on the arm. "Stop calling my a monkey, you lair."_

_"Ara, this really isn't a good time." He groaned._

_"Liar, liar, pants on fire."_

_"Ara..."_

_"My big brother is big fat liar," I continued to chant. "He's so stupid with his liar face and liar voice."_

_I burst in laughter as Aren suddenly shot up and attacked me with tickles. I tried to squirm away from him but his tickle attack wouldn't let me move any further. _

_"At least I'm not as stupid as this monkey," he laughed. "Now apologize to me or else you'll be tickled to death."_

_"Sorry," I said in between fits of laughter. I allowed myself to relax on the bed once he had decided to spare me. _

_"Mother said you are going through a break up," I said once he had freed me from his unbeatable tickle attack. "What's that, Aren?"_

_"Break ups are complicated, sis." He laid himself back down on the bed. _

_"Mother said I would understand when I'm older," I said with a frown. "Bur I wanna understand now."_

_"Trust me, Ara, you don't wanna know about break ups until you're older," he ruffled my hair. "And even when you're older it'll be tough."_

_"Break ups sound super scary," I shuttered. "I hope I'll be strong enough to fight it."_

_Aren chuckled and turned his back on me," when you go through a break up tell me. I promise I'll beat the guy up until his entire face is purple." _

_I shot up from the bed and gasped," so break ups are guys?" _

_"Don't worry about it," he buried his face into his pillow. "Just know I'll always be here to support you, sis."_

I jolted awake at the soft knock sounding from the door. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and asked whoever was on the other side to come in. The door squeaked open to reveal Aisha on the other side," Camilla just called." She announced as she let herself in. "She was wondering if you're going to visit her."

"Oh shoot," I shot up from bed and pulled the covers off. "I totally forgot to visit her." She's gonna give me an earful about neglecting her if I hold off the visit any longer.

"Why don't you visit her today?" Aisha asked. "We don't have to do any community service since the Harmony holiday starts today."

I almost forgot about that. I mused. The past few weeks has been filled with work. I barely remember the whole Harmony Festival was even happening.

"Thanks for reminding me," I opened my closet and began digging through my small collection of clothes. "Do you want to come with me?

"Sure," she beamed. "Um do you think we should dress for battle? I have a feeling Camilla might wanna see us spar."

I felt my cheeks warming at the memory of our previous battle, it's a good thing Aisha never brought that incident up again. "I'm just gonna go in casual wear." I replied, pulling out a pink tank top. "Just wear something you can move around in."

Aisha bobbed her head and began her way out," I can't wait to beat you again." She giggled.

"Yeah right," I rolled my eyes. "This time I'll be the one who will win."

* * *

We grabbed a quick bite before heading out to the city. Along the way we bumped into Echo who seemed to have been deprived of sleep. She had large bags under her eyes and her hair was sticking out from almost every end of her head. We tried asking her what was wrong but she refused to tell us what was bothering her. I had a sneaking suspicion she discovered something unsettling-something that may involve our help, but I didn't ponder on that thought any longer as she would probably inform us if she really needed the help.

The morning streets of Elder was abnormally empty, usually it would be packed with people rushing to get to work. Today the streets were quiet with only a selection of stores opened. Flyers advertising the Harmony Night Market taking place tonight was displayed at nearly every corner of the city. Aisha told me she would be going with an old friend of hers and asked if I wanted to come along. I shrugged off her question as I didn't know if I would be interested in going.

When I was still living in Elder I would never attend any of the Harmony events the city hosted as I was too busy training-things have changed drastically for me ever since I joined the team. Maybe I should consider going this year; then again, I have no one to go with and I doubt Aisha's friend would want some stranger tagging along with them.

We arrived to Camilla's arena in about an hour. Aisha directed us to the lounge first before going to search for Camilla as she wanted to make herself a cup of tea first. When we arrived only a few people were around. Some recognized me and asked how I was doing while others shrugged off my return and went about their business. I held small conversations with a few familiar faces as Aisha finished off her drink-many were eager to hear my adventures with the team while others were curious of how I landed myself the position.

"Look who decided to come back," Camilla's voice quickly ended the conversation between me and a few people.

"We'll talk to you later," one of the girls rose from their chair. "I wish you the best of luck in the future." Her friends waved us goodbye and followed her leave.

Once the girls had left Camilla hurried over to our table and took a seat," I thought you forgot about little ol' me." She said, pulling me into tight bear hug.

"Sorry, Camilla, things have just been really busy." I returned the hug. "How have you been?"

"I've been great," she pulled away from the hug. Her eyes trailed down to the golden necklace hanging from my neck. "I see you've been taking good care of the necklace."

"I'm surprised it's still in such a good shape," I glanced down at the unscratched necklace-at first glance you would think I had just bought it. "After all the fights and hits I've endured you'd think it'd have scratch on it."

"It's as strong as your heart, Ara." She pounded her fist against her chest.

"I've seen you wear it nearly everyday," Aisha piped in. "Is there a significant meaning to it?"

"It's a personal item," I blurted hastily-I could see Camilla raising her brow at my response. "Um it means a lot to me."

Aisha bobbed her head and took another sip of her tea. I lowered my head as Camilla nudged me with her foot, obviously wanting to know why I haven't told her about my past. I kept my eyes pinned onto the floor as Camilla's gaze kept stabbing daggers at me. I knew if I made eye contact with her I would have to spill my reasoning on the spot.

"So Elesis returned recently," Aisha said after a moment of silence. I relaxed my tensed muscles as the subject was quickly changed. "Elsword went back to Velder a few days ago."

"I heard," Camilla lifted her stare off me. "He paid me a quick visit before he left. The boy was still as energetic as ever." Camilla paused for a moment. "In fact, he seemed extra happy when he came. I wonder how much sugar he poured into his breakfast before coming."

Aisha's cheeks reddened as a goofy smile formed on her lips," maybe it's because he's got an amazing girlfriend now." She giggled.

Camilla's face lit up almost instantly at the news," congratulations, Aisha." She placed a hand on her shoulder. "I knew this day would come eventually."

"Oh please stop embarrassing me," Aisha covered her reddened face with her hands.

"I heard your team in particular have been stirring with work," she rested her arms on the table. "I also heard y'all won some pretty big fights."

"It's been a really busy year," Aisha admitted. "There's danger around every corner now."

Camilla sighed and dropped her smile," our world keeps getting worse. At first it was just demon attacks but now we have strange magical disturbances on a regular basis." She rested her chin on her hands. "Do y'all know what that's all about?"

Aisha shook her head," we've asked our captain about it but he never gave us a proper answer. I think he has an idea of what it might be though."

I silently agreed with Aisha. I have debated to myself whether I should tell the team about Scarlet's warning but I didn't have enough proof behind such a claim. The last thing I wanted to do was cause distress to a falsely claimed situation.

Camilla bobbed her head and averted her attention back to me," so how's that demon power been?" She asked in a soft whisper. "Have you been able to control it."

I felt Eun stirring awake, its power itching to make an appearance," I've been getting along with it quite nicely." I told her.

Camilla's eyes sparked with interest," getting along with it?" She asked incredulously.

"Our girl has grown so strong," Aisha added promptly. "She's also been improving significantly in her performance in combat."

I shot Aisha a quick smile in response to her support. I turned my attention back to Camilla and said," you haven't seen me fight for a long time." I reached down to grab my spear. "Would you like to see my new power at work?"

Camilla crossed her arms and grinned," I find it hard to believe you improved in such a short span of time."

"I'll prove you wrong," I replied with Eun's power burning fiercely inside me.

"Then I suppose you won't mind sparring against Aisha again?"

I shook my head," let's get this fight started already."

* * *

Aisha and I stood on opposite sides of the arena with Camilla seated comfortably on the sidelines. The set up was just like before, with both of us eagerly waiting for the fight to start and Camilla observing quietly on the side-probably anticipating me to make a dumb mistake.

"You ready?" Aisha called from the other side.

"I sure am," I said, bowing to my opponent-she returned the gesture.

Just like the first time we sparred Aisha began to charge her mana up with eyes closed. A part of me wanted to use the same tactic as I did the last time but I knew better than to dive head first without a plan.

I mutely ran through the many idea popping through my head as Aisha's magic grew more concentrated. At the corner of my eye I could see a small frown forming on Camilla's face but I didn't let her disappointment bother me-I knew I had to focus on my plan of attack first. I felt a grin escape my lips as a master plan began shaping in my head. I gave it an extra second of thought before taking action.

I charged toward her in the same manner I did before and leaped into the air. I positioned my spear down at her and began flying straight toward her, and just as I predicted she opened her eyes last minute and launched a series of fireballs at me.

"Moonlight Slash!" I swiftly swung my spear in a circular motion, the end of my blade successfully slicing through each incoming attack.

Aisha quickly prepared herself to teleport-of course I couldn't let her get away. With a blink of an eye I charged as her with a burst of speed, using the butt of my spear I collided it into her stomach making her fall back. Knowing she could still summon an elemental attack I quickly leaped back and waited for her to get up.

I cursed under my breath as she teleported herself away. I held my ground as my ears searched the area for the slightest of sounds. I quickly turned back at the sound of shuffling behind me-unfortunately Aisha reacted faster than me.

"Cyclone!" She summoned a burst of wind, sending me flying back.

I tried to regain my footing on the way down but failed to keep balance. I clumsily fell on the ground and watched in horror as she summoned a pack of blue orbs my directions.

_Now it is my time to shine. _

Eun took over at the last second and sprung up into the air-I could see Camilla's mouth dropping at our new appearance. Eun growled and slammed our spear down on the ground, channelling energy to suppress our enemy to the ground.

Aisha cursed as she was forced down by the attack. A purple aura flared to life around her just as a magic circle glowed brightly beneath her," Blizzard Shower!"

Eun jumped swiftly around the battlefield as blue icicles began materializing from above and launched at us. We were hit by a couple of the falling attacks but it wasn't enough to render us useless.

'Let me fight now.'

As requested Eun gave control back to me. I swayed my tails tauntingly to Aisha once she had got up from. She teeth clenched she summoned a blue homing orb at me-the same one she had used in the fight in the core.

I cursed and began running around the battlefield as the orb hunted me down. Once the ball of energy had dispersed I charged toward Aisha," Tempest Dance!"

"Chain Fireball!"

I carefully manoeuvred myself around the advancing fireballs, unfortunately my careful approach costed me some time thus allowing her to teleport to safety. I quickly ended the attack and growled at my opponent who was now safely on the other side.

"Enough," Camilla clapped her hands loudly together.

Aisha and I exchanged smiles as we lowered our weapons. We both bowed to one another before turning our attention toward Camilla. She walked down to the battlefield with a large grin on her face, clearly impressed with our fight.

"Good job, girls." She praised loudly. "I was afraid you two would actually kill each other half way through."

"We aren't that crazy," I laughed, retracting Eun's power.

"Isn't Eun's power cool?" Aisha piped in once she had made her way over. "I'm so happy I got to fight the both of you."

"Eun eh?" Camilla repeated. "Is that your demon's name?"

I nodded," Eun has helped me through so much. Without Eun I wouldn't be standing here."

"Oh really?" Camilla raised her brow. "Would it be alright if I speak to this Eun?"

_I refuse. _

I laughed sheepishly," Eun is kinda shy."

"Aw, come on, Eun." Camilla said, patting us back. "I just wanna say hi."

"I wanna talk to Eun as well." Aisha beamed. "I see you fighting along with Ara all the time but you never come out to talk with us."

'These guys are genuinely interested in meeting you, Eun.' I could feel Eun drawing back even further. 'I promise they won't hate you.'

_I do not belong in your circle of friends. I am not human. _

'So? You're still a friend and an important team mate. It doesn't matter if your human or not, just look at Amos and Yang.'

_Amos and Yang are different._

'Just say hi to them. If you really don't feel comfortable talking to them just switch out with me.'

Eun was silent for a moment, _fine. _

In an instant I could feel my control over my body disappear as Eun began to take over. Eun quietly observed the two, as if trying to figure out what to say.

"Ara?" Aisha asked with furrowed brows. "Are you okay?"

"I am not Ara," Eun spoke up quietly-I could feel our cheeks growing warm. "I am Eun, did you wish to speak with me?"

"Wow, even your voice is different." Camilla awed with widened eyes.

"Of course," Eun replied. "Ara and I are different souls sharing one body. It is not like we exist as one."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Eun." Aisha took our hand and shook it. "Thank you so much for lending us your strength and protecting Ara."

"Of course," Eun smiled awkwardly.

"Thank you indeed," Camilla placed a hand on our shoulder and grinned. "You've done a lot for her-more than anyone else." She leaned in beside our ear and whispered. "You know exactly what happened that day too, don't ya'? If you could can you help her solve that mystery?"

"Of course," Eun whispered back. "I am sure the path we are taking will eventually lead us to the answers."

"Thanks," she gave our shoulder a tight squeeze. "You don't know how much this means to us."

* * *

Aisha and I spent the rest of our day relaxing at home, watching random shows airing on TV. Amos, Raven, and Eve (along with Yang) were out exploring in the forest while Chung had locked himself in his room-only coming out to get food or use the bathroom.

Aisha dressed herself up and left as twilight began to fall over the sky. Everyone else returned from their hike shortly after to get cleaned up for the night market. Amos had cleaned himself off the quickest so I decided to help him kill time by firing up the game console. We played against each other in a racing game (I quickly learned that racing was not meant for me) and then a fighting game. I allowed him to win a couple rounds while taking a few victories for myself.

The amber sun was barely peeking over the horizon when Eve and Raven were ready to leave-both of them had changed into their casual wear for the night.

"Amos, we're going now." Raven announced once he had his shoes on.

"I need to finish this game first," he answered with fingers frantically smashing against the controller.

"We can finish our match another time," I said, pausing the game. "You should spend some time with Eve and Raven, it's not everyday you get to attend a night market."

"Okay," he placed his controller down and wrapped his arms around me. "Thanks for playing with me."

"No problem," I returned the hug. "Now get out there and enjoy the night."

"I will," he unwrapped is arms. "Have a good night, Ara."

Amos sprung to his feet and ran straight into Raven's opened arms. Raven lifted the small Ponggo into his arms and let themselves out leaving Eve to lock the door behind them.

"Are you going tonight?" Eve asked as her drones readjusted her purse strap.

I shrugged," maybe later." I didn't want to admit I had no one to go with.

"If you're going see if Chung would like to join you." She added, as if she read my mind.

I held back a smile at the idea and bobbed my head," I can lock the door for you."

"Thank you," she waved me goodbye before stepping out.

I sighed and laid myself down on the couch, debating whether or not I should invite Chung to go. The night market probably wouldn't have much to see and the stuff sold there is most likely going to be cheap goods and funny tasting food.

Then again it's a perfect place to spend some alone time with him.

I groaned and buried my face in one of the cushions," why did I have to think that?"

_It's a beautiful night to be out with friends. _Eun piped in coolly. _Why waste it by staying indoors?_

"But the food there probably isn't good," I complained-not caring if it sounded like I was talking to myself. "And the goods there aren't gonna be great."

_You do not know that. _

"But-"

_You are no longer the same girl living Elder. You are now part of an official Red Knight Party and it doesn't seem like they will be kicking you out anytime soon. I admire your willingness to put aside entertainment for work but you no longer have to worry about earning a position in a team. Allow yourself to relax for once, like a regular human. _

I felt my cheeks reddening at the question stirring restlessly in my head," d-do you think I should invite Chung?"

_I do not care. _

Note to self, never ask Eun for advice outside of combat.

I forced myself up from the couch, turned off the game console, and made my way up the stairs. I felt my heart beating harder and harder against my chest the closer we drew to his closed door, a dim blue light seeped from underneath the door crack.

He might get lonely if he finds out everyone went without him, I mused. As a friend I should invite him to come along, it would be wrong to leave him all alone here.

I hesitantly stopped in front of his bedroom door-I could faintly hear his fingers tapping quickly against a keyboard. With a deep breath in I brought my hand up and knocked against the wooden door, the tapping stopped almost immediately. I folded my clammy hands together as he shuffled around in his room. I felt my entire body freezing when the door cracked open.

He was in a simple white t-shirt and blue shorts but somehow he managed to make my head spin with excitement.

"So you gonna stand there or what?" He asked with a raised brow.

I quickly snapped out of my daze and forced my tensed shoulders to relax," I-I was wondering if wanted to go out with me." I felt my cheeks flaring with heat. ""N-not like go out a-as in dating, umm go out as in night market and..."

Good job, me. Way to send a clear message across.

"Okay?" He chuckled. "So you want me to go to that night market with you?"

I nodded mutely, not wanting to make a further embarrassment to myself.

"Y'know I was planning to stay home for the entire night," he sighed, scratching the back of his neck. "But I guess I can make an exception for you."

"Really?" I blurted almost instantly. "I-I mean that's cool."

"Just don't take forever when getting dressed," he ruffled the top of my head. "I'll leave without you."

"R-right, I'll see you in just a bit." I grinned stupidly at him before rushing into my room.

I practically slammed the door shut as my mind raced to comprehend what just took place. My thoughts were bouncing back and forth, ideas of what I should wear flashed through my head like an endless power point. I was so flustered at his reply that I could barely function while trying to search for clothes. Eventually I asked Eun to help me put together something as I know I'd be trying on and taking off outfits until I found the "perfect" combination.

I was surprisingly satisfied with the look Eun decided for us. I had on the blue dress Eve bought me during our shopping trip, my hair was in a ponytail which held my hairpin in place, and the golden necklace I had always worn was replaced with the blue pendant Chung gave me.

"Thanks, Eun." I said, twirling myself around in the mirror.

_I simply put together something your friend would find appealing. I suspected you would want such an affect._

I blushed," that would explain all the blue."

_We should hurry and leave now. The night is quickly running dry. _

I made a quick grab for my purse and heels before bolting out the door. Chung was already downstairs, he was till in his pyjamas with only an added hoodie to cover his t-shirt. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I headed down the stairs, he turned his head toward me and I could swear I saw his eyes widening at my appearance.

"Sorry I took so long." I apologized.

He pried his eyes away from me and shrugged," no big deal."

I hurriedly slipped on my pair of heels," let's get going." I said once my footwear was on.

He opened up the front door and stepped aside," you go out first. I can lock the door." He offered quietly.

I thanked him and made my way out, the pendant around my neck shielded me from the coolness that covered the night. I perked my head up to observe the numerous specks of light looming over us, tonight they seemed to be shining brighter than usual.

"Okay, let's go." Chung grabbed me by the hand and began walking-his hand was cold to the touch.

"Are you sure you don't need any extra clothes?" I asked, intertwining my fingers with his-my chest warmed at our connected hands.

"I'm fine," he insisted. "I have you here to keep me warm."

At that moment I felt the butterflies filling my stomach explode into a party-and Chung was the only reason they had stirred so rapidly.

* * *

The night market was better than I had imagined. Much of the food served gave off a mouth watering odour, its delicious scent travelling through the market and competing with neighbouring scents. We nearly bought food from every stand as each of the food displayed catch our attention. The goods sold weren't low quality as I had imagined them to be but we didn't bother buying anything.

After filling ourselves up with as much food as we could, we retreated to the famous Elder fountain. Several people were sitting on the benches surrounding the fountain while several kids played in its cold water. Chung and I sat on the bench furthest away from the water as we didn't want to get splashed by the kids.

"I've never been so full," I groaned, rubbing my bloated stomach.

"I can still go for seconds," he said nonchalantly. "Your stomach is just weak."

I slapped him on the arm," I ate some food back at the house before coming."

He rolled his eyes," so did I and look who's still able to eat."

Not wanting to admit to defeat I simply stuck my tongue out at him and called him a few names, he laughed at my failed attempts to make fun of him.

"Calm down," he snaked an arm around my shoulders, laughing. "I didn't know you'd get so offended."

"Whatever," I crossed my arms stubbornly.

We sat in silence for a couple of minutes. A soft breeze rustled the leaves behind us, their soft claps filling in the comfortable silence sitting between us. I watched as one of the kids accidentally splashed a nearby couple with water, their siblings laughed at their mistakes while their parents shot up in horror from their seats.

"The Altera fight was pretty bad," Chung began softly. "I thought we were going to die."

"We all thought that," I clarified. "Thank goodness Eve and Raven were able to save us."

He sighed," I think my biggest fear was surviving without you guys."

"I had that fear too." I felt a lump forming at the back of my throat at the thought of losing everyone. "I wouldn't know what to do if you guys were all dead."

"Y'know, the fight really reminded me of how fragile we are." He admitted quietly. "That's probably why Elsword asked Aisha out afterwards."

"You think so?"

He lifted his arm off my shoulder and placed his hand over mine. Our fingers instinctively intertwined with one another as if they had been longing to be together throughout the night. I sheepishly turned my head around to face him-I wasn't expecting him to already be looking at me. His blue eyes bore into mine with fierce emotion burning in them, I couldn't quite make out what he was feeling but the warmth of his gaze told me he held nothing but positive feelings for me.

"Chung..." I shut myself up as my mind raced to find the right words. I wanted to pry my eyes away from him but a part of me refused to let me retreat back into my little bubble.

"I was right," he whispered. I felt my jaw dropping as he began to lean in. I absentmindedly squeezed his hand as the space between us grew smaller-his hand squeezed back. "You look beautiful in blue."

Warmth erupted from my chest as the distance between us closed. The lights from the night market, the many footsteps and voices parading around us blurred into one. The only thing that was clear to me was Chung, our intertwined hands, and our connected lips. I fluttered my eyelids shut and kissed him back, not caring if we were going to attract some curious eyes.

Our kiss was abruptly interrupted by the blaring ringtone sounding from my purse. I hesitantly pulled away from him and retracted my hand away from his to search through my purse. He mutely leaned back on his seat and wrapped his arm around me, this time pulling me closer to him like he had during our first night in the Ponggo hideout.

I pulled out my blaring phone and felt my heart sinking at the name displayed on the screen, it was Echo. I can't imagine she could be calling for good news, especially with the distress state she had held throughout our return. I took a deep breath in and answered the call.

"A-Ara?" Her voice shook from the other end-I could hear muffled chatter in the background. "Where are you?"

"I'm at the night market with Chung," I answered-at the corner of my eye I could see Chung leaning in to hear the conversation. "Are you okay?"

"W-we need you two back here right now." She stammered. "Th-there's been an emergency at one of the Red Knight b-bases and they need back up."


	60. 60

**The next chapter will be a little late, I can't promise it will be out by tonight but I'll try my best to get it done. Thanks for your patience and remember to stay awesome :)**

**If anyone sees a duplicate chapter in this story contact me immediately. Fanfiction keeps telling me there's one but I can't find it. **

Almost everyone was present when we returned back home. Echo was seated at our dining table, with fingers tapping rapidly on her laptop, while Lowe was in a middle of a phone call with Aisha, ordering her to return as soon as possible. Raven, Eve, and Amos were seated quietly at the living room, Chung and I joined them without a second thought. It didn't take long for Aisha to return home and when she came back Lowe gestured us to the dining table for a meeting. We mutely gathered around with eyes on Echo-to say she looked over-worked would be an understatement. Loose strands of silver hair stuck out in various directions from her head, her emerald eyes were now cloaked with dark bangs underneath.

"As you all know, this is known to be the most peaceful time of the year." Echo began with eyes glued onto her laptop screen. "Normally magic levels and demon activities are significantly lower thus leaving our world in a state of tranquility-but this year is different."

"Have any of you felt a strange disturbance during these past few months?" Lowe asked, folding his hands behind him. "Like a shift of the magic levels."

We each nodded stiffly, Lowe's jaws tightened at our response.

"What's happening?" I asked.

"We've received reports of unusual magic buildup in the area known as Feita." Echo resumed typing on the laptop. "Demon activity has sky-rocketed as well. Knights have also reported seeing two anomalies leading demons to attack and gather."

This sounds like the warning Scarlet gave me, I thought grimly. If she knew about it before the Knights began detecting it, who knows how long those two have been active in Feita?

"Tonight the Feita Temple was breached by demons. All the Knights that were guarding it was wiped out, no survivors have been reported."

Aisha gasped," that's awful."

"They reached out to all Red Knight bases for help and Lowe has decided to send our best team out." She glanced up at us with a smile. "We've gathered your clothes and weapons already, they should be boarding an airplane as we speak. I've also included both El Shards with them, in case you guys need an extra power boost."

_Why would she consider taking both the El Shards? We are strong enough with only one Shard, it is unnecessary and dangerous to have two._

'She's just looking out for us, Eun, please try not to be judgmental.'

"Wait, we're leaving tonight?" Raven blurted.

"Feita needs all the help it can get as soon as possible." Lowe replied. "I apologize for sending you all away on such short notice."

"What about Elsword?" Eve asked. "He is back at home with his sister."

"The plane you will be taking stops at Velder," Echo answered with a yawn. "Elesis has been informed of your arrival and will be expecting you tomorrow morning. Elesis will direct you guys to the Feita transport team, from there you guys will listen to the orders given out by the leader of the Feita base."

"Can I come too?" Amos piped in. A frown instantly formed on Raven's lips at the sound of his request.

"I don't think that's a good idea, kiddo." Lowe answered before Raven got a chance to. "The troops out there also detected a high level of dark magic-much higher than the one you felt in Bethma." He added, forgetting Amos was not with us in Bethma.

"But I wanna help too," Amos whined, ignoring Lowe's mention of Bethma.

"Lowe is right," Eve ruffled Amos' head. "This is too dangerous for you."

"Please," Amos begged, flashing puppy-dog eyes at his two guardians. "I promise I'll be super good and make some more awesome potions."

Raven and I exchanged conflicted looks, like two new parents trying to figure out how they should respond to the complaints of their first child.

"Well, I don't see a problem in him staying at the base." Echo muttered, resting her head on the table. "He certainly won't be bored with Allegro around."

"Allegro?" Amos repeated curiously.

Echo smiled," he's an amazing alchemist-even better than me." Her cheeks flushed with pink. "I miss that dork."

Eve crossed her arms together," but what if the base gets attacked? How can we be sure Amos will be safe during the attack?"

"I also don't like the idea of leaving him alone with strangers." Raven added with a frown. "How can we be sure they'll protect him like we do?"

"You two sound like my parents," Echo groaned-Eve's cheeks flushed with pink in response. "Let the kid see the world, you can't keep protecting him forever."

"I agree with Echo," Amos flashed them another set of puppy-dog eyes. "Pretty please can I go?"

Raven sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose," if I bring you along do you promise to be good?"

"Of course!" Amos answered almost instantly.

"And you will agree to go back if we decide it is too dangerous for you?" Eve quickly added.

Amos frowned," but-"

"Answer my question." Eve cut him off.

"Fine," he said, dropping his head down in defeat.

Lowe's frown clearly expressed his distaste with the idea of sending a kid with us but he kept quiet as he knew he had no say in what Raven and Eve wanted to do.

"You should get packing, Amos." Echo suggested with eyes shut. "The plane in Elder is waiting for you guys."

* * *

We arrived at the Velder airport early next morning. The sky was still painted in an array dawn's hues and the sun had still retained its early amber glow. Walking through the Velder airport was unnerving, to say the least. People seemed to steer clear from us as we navigated through the building with a Ponggo (whom they must have assumed was another demon) and an Ancient Phoru following us. We were confronted by several Velder Knights about our unique group but they quickly left us alone once we had revealed to them our identity. After we had gathered all of our belongings we hurried to the bathroom to change back to our usual clothes.

Unfortunately whoever was packing our belongings had forgot to pack my prized golden necklace. I spouted out a few curses before letting my anger simmer away, I knew there was nothing I could do to get it delivered-at least I still had Chung's with me.

Once we were all changed we decided to fill our stomachs up at the small food court. I was reluctant to buy Yang fast food to eat but I knew better than to leave my partner hungry-luckily Yang didn't complain about its meal and ate every last bit of it before we were finished our food. We enjoyed the remainder of our breakfast in silence as we waited for Elsword and his sister to arrive-Yang slept beside me once it had finished its share of food.

"I found them." A familiar voice sounded.

I swallowed the last of my burger and averted my eyes up. Elsword could be seen running to our table with a toothy smile, a red haired woman (who I could safely assume was his sister) followed slowly behind him.

Elsword's sister had long scarlet red hair and matching red eyes. In one hand she held a massive red sword and while her other hand was wrapped up in a cast. Unlike her brother she was in casual wear, she had on a simple green t-shirt and a pair of red shorts.

She looks a lot like Scarlet, I mused. I wonder if she's the one I've been talking to this whole time. If she is why didn't she warn the Red Knights about the duo in Feita? Why did she have to inform me about it?

"Sorry we took so long," Elsword said once he had arrived. "We slept in." He took a fry from Aisha's tray and plopped it into his mouth.

"You both managed to sleep in?" Aisha asked incredulously. "And don't just take my food like that."

"I barely ate before coming here," he said, taking more of her fries.

"Well...then I guess you can steal some food." Aisha gestured him to take the rest of the fries. "But it's your fault for sleeping in."

"Hey, it wasn't my fault Elesis wanted to go on a movie marathon with me last night." He defended-Raven and Chung snickered in response.

"I bet she forced you to watch some chick flick." Chung laughed.

Elsword frowned and stuffed his face with more fries," maybe." He muttered with his mouth full.

"There's nothing wrong with a chick flicks," his sister piped in suddenly. She leaned her massive sword against the table and took the rest of Elsword's fries. "You were totally crying like a baby last night."

Elsword choked on his food and began coughing. Our table erupted in laughter as he tried to drown down the remainder of his food with Aisha's drink.

"Don't mind him," she said, eating the last of his fries. "He's always trying too hard to as cool as me."

"Am not!" Elsword snapped once he was finished coughing.

"Sure, pumpkin, whatever you say." She laughed, ruffling his hair. "You're such a cute little brother."

"I'm not cute," he slapped her hand off his head with reddened cheeks. "And you're not cool."

"As Elsword's cool and awesome sister-"she wrapped her arm around her brother"-it's my job to tell you how cute this guy looks in a dress."

"Elesis," he groaned as he tried to free himself from her grip.

"Oh and one time we were out shopping-"she strengthened her grip around Elsword"-Elsword got separated from me but the poor kid didn't know. When I turned around I saw this dork going up to some red-haired lady demanding for her to give him his money."

Elsword buried his face in his hands as Elesis began laughing at the memory," the poor lady looked so terrified."

"Sis," Elsword groaned.

"There was also a time where this loser almost drowned in the kitty pool, but that's a story for another day." She released her brother from her iron grip. "Right now I should be escorting you guys to your ride. They're waiting just outside Velder."

"Is everyone ready for departure?" Eve asked-nearly everyone bobbed their heads at her question.

Elesis smiled at our response," glad to see you guys are ready to go." She said retrieving her sword. "I'm sure Lento will be delighted to see your early arrival. "

* * *

Elesis drove us through Velder to meet up with our escorts, unfortunately her van was not big enough to fit everyone comfortably. Yang took up most of the space in the back seats thus we had to make some adjustments to our seating arrangement-Elsword gave up his front seat for Aisha as he joined Raven and Eve in the middle section of the van, Amos was seating on Raven's lap. Chung and I were forced to squish in with Yang in the back but because Yang took up so much space I had no choice but to sit on Chung's lap-he was a surprisingly comfortable chair.

Elesis entertained us with her childhood stories; most of the tales told was to deliberately embarrass her brother. My initial suspicions of her being the same person as Scarlet quickly died out as her stories progressed. Elesis had never mentioned anything about travelling away from society nor had she brought up the idea of integrating herself back in. The closest thing I heard was her prolonged mission on a different continent. It was safe to say Scarlet and Elesis were two completely different people.

The van quieted down once we began threading through the inner parts of Velder. Almost all of us were amazed at the many colourful decorations put up for the Harmony Festival along with the many Knights patrolling down the streets. It was strange to see so many Knights on duty, you could hardly catch a glimpse of a patrolling Knight in Elder. A great stone castle loomed over the busy streets with various watch towers encircling the building.

"During the day of the Harmony Festival all the streets are blocked off for parades and marches." Elesis spoke up as we neared the edge of the great city-the tree lines were growing more thick and less people could be seen. "We also have public spars for the people to watch and bet on."

"That sounds way cooler than Elder," Aisha pointed out. "We have night markets and parades but nothing more than that."

"We tend to go overboard with holidays," Elesis chuckled. "But it's been harder and harder to celebrate with so many attacks and disturbances."

The air seemed to thicken in the van. Aisha swallowed as she mutely opened the car window just enough for a cool breeze to rush in.

"I'm not sure about letting you guys fight in Feita." Elesis said after a minute of silence. "I've heard some amazing accomplishments from your team but I don't feel like you're ready."

"I think you're just overthinking things, sis." Elsword replied, probably with a frown. "We took down some crazy Nasod under Elder, defeated a Nasod King, and took down a dragon-a freakin' dragon!"

"I'm not calling you weak," she clarified calmly. "You are far from weak, but I fear your successful experience is boosting your ego. As of now you have seen nothing but victory, you have not tasted defeat enough to fight with caution."

"Well there was one time we let a bandit get away, and another time when we were defeated by a thief, and-"

"Minor mistakes," Elesis cut her brother off-her hands tightened around the steering wheel. "The stronger you get the more you attract danger. Please keep that in mind when you enter a new mission."

"Sis, we'll be fine."

Elesis' shoulders tensed," I hope you will be."

There wasn't any further exchange in words. Elesis continued down the straight road with whitened hands gripped tightly around the steering wheel. We drove further down the straight road for another half hour or so before spotting a small gas station. Elesis turned into the station, there we could see three large black trucks parked side by side with knights standing guard beside them.

"These are your escorts," Elesis said as she pulled up beside the trucks.

No one said a word as we shuffled our way out of the cramped vehicle. Elsword opened up the back trunk to let us gather up our belongings while Elesis spoke with the Knights on guard.

"Sorry to call you guys out here on such a short notice," a familiar blue-haired knight approached us with Elesis following shortly behind. I recognized him as the Knight we met at the restaurant back in Elder.

"It's no problem," Elsword replied, closing up his sister's trunk. "We're glad to help."

"I would like to formally introduce you to my team but there's no time. We must depart to Feita immediately." He gestured to the black trucks behind him. "You may leave your belongings in one of the trunks. Unfortunately we do not have enough room in each truck for your team so would it be okay if you guys sat in trunks?"

"That's fine," Elsword answered for us.

Lento smiled politely," very well, we should get going as soon as possible."

"W-wait," Elesis grabbed Lento's arm. "If anything goes wrong call me. I-I might be injured but I can still fight."

"Elesis, you've been fighting for long enough. The reason they didn't give you a high-class healing potion is because they want you to rest and relax." His expression seemed to soften a bit. "Please just rest."

Elesis frowned," Lento-"

"I'll contact you _if _anything does go wrong, but until then stay home and rest up." He pulled his arm out of her grip. "I promise you'll be the first to know if something goes wrong.

She opened her mouth to protest but Lento turned his attention away from her before she got the chance to speak. "I'll be waiting for everyone to board." Lento began his way back to the trucks, the knights on guard lowered their weapons as they began shuffling back inside the trucks-others hopped onto the empty trunks.

"We better get going," Elsword looked over at his sister. "You better rest up like Lento told you to."

She sighed," I know." She folded her lips tightly together. "I-I wish we could've spent the Harmony Festival together. It's been forever since I've spent time with you." She turned her back toward us and sniffled. "I used to leave you alone all the time to go on missions; looks like karma has finally come to bite me."

"Elesis, don't cry." Elsword dropped his belongings and ran toward his sister. The rest of us mutely proceeded to fill one of the trunks with our baggage. No one said a word to Elsword as we hopped onto one of the two trunks available. Raven, Eve, and Amos sat in one truck while Chung, Aisha, and I sat in the other.

Seeing Elesis and Elsword's reunion made me feel upset-not because I wasn't happy for them but because it felt unfair. Aren and I have been separated for a much longer period of and yet we aren't allowed to reunite yet. I hate to admit it but I was bitterly jealous of Elsword.

"Sorry I took so long." I snapped out of my daze as Elsword hopped onto the trunk.

"How's Elesis?" Aisha asked softly.

"She's upset that we have to be separated again," he said, sitting himself down beside her. "She said she would be fine but I don't trust her on that."

"Once we're done with Feita we can visit her," Aisha placed her hand over his. "Don't worry."

He mutely bobbed his head and his fingers intertwined with hers. I readjusted my sitting position as the trucks roared to life. One by one the trucks began their way out the gas station and back on the road. We waved Elesis good bye on the way out-she smiled at us but it was quite obvious her smile was forced out.

I hope this mission won't take too long. I thought. Elesis must be devastated to see Elsword leaving her. I know I would be if Aren had to leave right after I reunited with him.

"Lento, are you sure these kids can handle it?" One of the knights' muffled voice sounded from inside the truck.

"These kids have taken down remarkable enemies," he answered. "I trust in their ability to fight."

"But can they deal with the demons that's attacking us?" Another piped in.

"If Lowe's words are correct these kids will be more than okay dealing with the demons." There was a brief pause. "What I'm concerned about is the increased demon activity. I don't understand why there's such a rise in activity during this time of year."

"Not to mention the number of spirits sighted."

Spirits? I've heard it was possible to fight spirits (Mother and Father learned the techniques to deal with various spirits) and send them back to the other world, but I didn't think I'd ever encounter one.

"If the reinforcements aren't enough should we fall back to the-"

"No," Lento snapped. "You are not allowed to use such a skill under any circumstances."

"Then what's the point in learning it?" Someone grumbled.

"It is a skill that is only used in the most dire of situations. We rarely fall back on such a skill though." Lento answered lowly. "Do not mention such a skill in front of this team...young naive minds shouldn't get the wrong idea."

"I didn't think sitting back here would be so cold," Elsword said with a sneeze. "I should've worn a sweater."

I pried my attention away from the knights' conversation and returned my attention to my friends. Elsword now had an arm around Aisha, Aisha was snuggled comfortably on his shoulder. I felt my face warming at the familiarity of such a gesture.

"Aren't you cold, Ara?" Aisha asked, wrapping her arms around Elsword.

I felt my eyes instinctively trailing down to the ocean blue pendant hanging around my neck," not really." I answered with a grin.

"And I've been meaning to ask you, where did that lovely blue pendant come from?" She added-probably with a raised brow.

"Umm," my cheeks heated further. "Someone gave it to me."

"A special friend?" Elsword piped in playfully.

"No," I snapped almost instantly. Chung chuckled at my response but didn't add onto the conversation.

"I totally believe you," Aisha replied, sarcasm dripped from her voice. "You don't have to tell me now, we can wait another day."

I was about to reply but I quickly lost my words as a gut wrenching aura pulsated from the road ahead. I felt the colour and bliss draining from everyone's faces. We all turned our attention ahead to see the dark road ahead. The sky in front of us was not the clear blue colour we had grown to know, instead it was tainted with dark clouds-it looked as if it was the result of a terrible forest fire. From what I could see it didn't appear like there was any sunlight up ahead, it's as if the land was forever shrouded in the night.

"S-something feels wrong," Aisha whispered. "I-I sense a strong level of dark magic up ahead."

"S-same," Elsword added quietly. "It makes me want to vomit."

"I can't imagine what our enemy will be like," Chung mused grimly. "Maybe this is why Elesis was worried about our well-being."

"We'll be fine," Elsword reassured. "S-she's just a bit paranoid."

A heavy feeling began to press itself against my chest, it felt as if I was being stepped on by an elephant. I took a deep breath in and readjusted myself into a more comfortable position, hoping it'll help me breathe easier.

"Do you think this has to do with our next El Shard?" Aisha asked.

Chung shrugged," if it is that's one strong Shard."

We rode further down the rode in silence. The dark aura swallowing us only thickened as we travelled further down. At one point one of the knights asked if we were coping with the dark essence alright to which we replied with an obvious lie. The ashen colour on our faces clearly showed our distress over the abrupt change in atmosphere.

The distinct smell of blood began to grow present in the air. I informed the knights about it to which they responded by exerting the full speed of their vehicle. It took me by surprise when none of them asked how I could pick up the scent, either Lowe informed them ahead of time about my special powers or they were too worried about their base to care about the small details.

It didn't take long for the small base to come into view, but even from a distance we could see the various enemies swarming around the base. Everyone mutely took up their weapons and waited for the trucks to reach our target. Raven and Aisha released a couple of fireballs at the enemies standing in our path as the trucks all came to a screeching stop, the vehicles kicked up a cloud of brown dust during its abrupt halt.

I hopped onto Yang the instant we had stopped moving and sprang into action. The demons instantly took notice of our arrival and wasted no time to attack us. Most of my friends stayed by the entrance of the base to fight off the approaching enemies while I used Yang to charge further into the base. Yang burned through most of the demons blocking our way while I took care of the few that didn't seem to be bothered by its flames.

The demons I was fighting was unusually strong and organized-their strength was significantly stronger than the demons that had attacked Elder. The demons strategically fought in big groups when going against two or more opponents while others went off alone to take down the injured and destroy the many tents set up.

It felt like hours had passed before the demons decided to retreat. Once the area was free from any more enemies we proceeded to aid the injured Knights. Aisha and Chung immediately began brewing up some potions (Amos hopped in to help them) while everyone else helped clean up the base-unfortunately that meant cleaning up bodies as well.

"Lento, I heard you were back." I turned my head away from the wrecked tent I was currently repairing and averted my attention to the short black-haired guy running toward Lowe. His rounded glasses clutched loosely around the bridge of his nose and bounced with each step he took.

"Allegro," Lento idly pushed past his knights to reach him. "Why are you out here? It could still be dangerous-"

"There's people that need me," the boy Allegro protested. "How can I do my job if I'm constantly being cooped up in that tent?"

Lento frowned," what if you suddenly get attacked? How can you expect me to protect you?"

"I'm not _that _helpless," Allegro dug into his oversized green jacket and pulled out three different coloured orbs. "These are infused with elemental magic. I just need to break them and _poof _they're activated."

Lento arched his brow," can they kill a demon?" He challenged.

Allegro grinned," they can kill, but not quickly though."

"They're useless unless they can kill on the spot," Lento snatched his orbs away with one hand. "I refuse to let you run into battle with these."

"Give those back," Allegro attempted to reach for his orbs but his height betrayed him. "Lowe, you're always so controlling."

"I'm just looking out for you," he said, raising his arm higher. "Go back to the tent and brew up the potions there."

"You're such a bore," Aisha's voice sounded. I turned my head toward her, shocked that she would say such a thing to Lowe, but she was still occupied with the potion brewing over the small camp fire.

If it wasn't Aisha that said it then who?

"Honestly, how can you expect your best friend to be happy in that oversized igloo?" A familiar mage with twin purple braids walked idly toward them. Allegro's cheeks flared with red as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders," relax a bit, old man. Allegro won't break into pieces if he steps outside, the scary bugs and fresh air won't kill him."

"Speka?" I heard myself blurting out her name. The trio turned their attention to me along, Lento and Allegro seemed surprised at my knowledge of her name while Speka simple greeted me with a toothy grin.

"Ara, it feels like forever since I last saw you." She chimed. "If you're here then my big sister must also too. I can't wait to give that loser the most painful bear hug in the world."


	61. 61

Once everyone was patched up and all the fallen tents had been put up again we gathered around one of the many campfires built around the base to enjoy dinner-the food selection wasn't very spectacular, consisting only of small animals and a few herbs. Speka shared her story of stumbling upon Feita after sensing an unusual amount of dark energy. She feared the events from Bethma would repeat and decided to do some investigating. The knights who bumped into her along the way had mistaken her as an enemy and attacked. Speka fought back as she thought these knights were the cause of such an aura until demons began attacking them. Both sides quickly came to the same conclusion and teamed up to fight their common foe. From that point on she was welcomed into the base and had been working along side her newly found friends for the past few months.

Aisha held a constant smile as she listened to her sister talk about the many adventures she shared with the knights and the numerous pranks she pulled on Lento. Even without having to say a word I could tell Aisha was delighted to hear about her sister's new adventures. At one point even I began bursting with joy, hearing Speka's seemingly endless stories reminded me of my own adventures with my friends-it gave a strong sense of nostalgia. Our adventures may not have been easy but we always got through it together.

"Oh I'm sorry for talking so much," Speka laughed at her own mistake. "I didn't even let anyone else speak."

"It's fine," Elsword reassured while stirring the boiling metal pot sitting in the middle of the fire. "We're glad you found some new friends."

"I'm glad these knights are so accepting of you magic." Aisha added.

Speka bobbed her head," Lento was weary of letting me join at first, but he quickly warmed up to me after he got to know me better." She explained, stretching her legs out. "So, sis, I can see your adventures have been busy." She averted her eyes to Amos who was napping in Raven's arms. "You've got to tell me what happened in Altera."

Aisha dove into our crazy adventure on the floating island. She talked about all the events that unfolded during our time there. She would allow Raven and Eve to explain certain parts of the story themselves, like Raven's past and Eve's image in the Nasod community-she even explained the small events that took place after our mission was complete. We ate the freshly cooked food as the story was told and the food served was nearly gone by the time the story had finished. At one point Eve left with Amos to meet the Allegro, Amos had been anticipating to meet the skilled alchemist the moment he step foot into the base.

"That sounds way cooler than my story," Speka said once Aisha had finished speaking. "I still can't believe you actually got together with that idiot." Speka's eyes darted between Elsword and Aisha.

"He's an idiot, I know." Aisha giggled-Elsword frowned at her response. "But he's my idiot."

"Stop talking like I'm not here," he piped in. The sisters rolled their eyes before breaking into fits of laughter.

"So, Speka, did you guys find the root cause of these magical disturbances?" Chung (who was sitting beside me) asked.

"We think it might be from the Feita Temple." Speka answered once she had calmed down.

"Feita Temple?" Raven repeated.

"It's not far from here, though it's easier to see during the day...when the sky isn't as dark." She answered. "The temple was said to be used in ancient times during the Harmony Festival. Six people from different parts of Elrois were chosen by their leaders to ascend to the top of the temple when the solar eclipse occurred, some say they performed a ritual to please the gods while others believed they gathered to symbolize the time of unity."

"I've always wondered something," Elsword interrupted, earning a cold glare from Aisha. "What makes the Harmony Festival so special? I get that it's the most peaceful time of the year but why? What makes it so peaceful?"

"That's...actually a good question." Aisha mumbled. All heads turned to Speka for the answer.

"W-well here's where the story gets weird," Speka began playing with her fingers. "They say the six chosen represented the six elements of life-some sources call it the six main elements of magic."

_How strange. It sounds like these "six elements" are referring to the El Shards._

'It wouldn't surprise me if it had something to do with El Shards. Everyone seems to be obsessed with them.'

"During this time people believed the magic from the six elements flowed freely and in sync with one another. The energy released is said to bring life to new forests, heal those who are sick or injured, and some even say its a time where souls from the dead return to dance under the solar eclipse."

"Spooky ghosts go dancing...got it." Elsword whispered. Aisha shushed him promptly.

"We celebrate this phenomenon every year, but the truth is this event only takes place every three years. That's why the festivals and events held every third year is so big." Speka finished. "This year is the third year and the activity brewing from the demons have been very concerning-"

"We normally don't care about such an old tale but this year we have been paying close attention to such stories." Lento piped in. We greeted Lento and expanded our circle to make some room for him to sit.

"Thank you for the extra space but I won't be here for long." He waved his hand dismissively. "I'm here to discuss some things with you." He waited for us to retract our circle before continuing. "Until recently we have not confirmed the existence of El Shards, but now that they have been brought to light, we are concerned about their links to the legend."

"You think the El Shards would activate on their own?" I asked.

"I believe they have always activated during this time of year." He clarified. "I also believe these demons have learned of their existence and made it their goal to get such a treasure."

"But can these demons even think with that much complexity?" Raven arched his brow. "How did this information even get out to them anyways?"

Lento shrugged," knights like to spread news like wild fire. At some point a nearby demon must have over-heard their conversation."

Note to self, never discuss important information out in the open. You never know when someone is listening nearby.

"You also shouldn't underestimate the demons' intelligence." Speka added. "We've seen some really smart ones, some could even talk and shout commands."

Fighting a horde of mindless demons was already going to be heard enough, but now we also had to worry about intelligent foes. I shuddered at the thought of it.

"We don't have solid proof of this claim yet so we shouldn't dwell too deep into it." Lento quickly changed the subject. "For now I need you all to focus on climbing the Feita Temple. We've sensed magical pulses coming from it and the demon activity surrounding it has risen drastically."

"Is that what we'll be doing tomorrow?" Elsword asked with widened eyes. "Do we need to climb the _entire_ thing?"

"I'm not expecting you to climb the entire Temple in one day, boy." Lento's lips twitched into an amused smile. "That'd be impossible with the amount of demons present there."

"You guys are helping my team tomorrow," Speka answered for Lento excitedly. "We're gonna recapture the first level of the Temple."

"Speka," Lento frowned at her response.

"Calm down, it's not like I'm lying or anything." She laughed, oblivious to Lento's dissatisfaction with her interruption. Aisha opened her mouth to scold her sister but snapped it back shut as she decided not to ruin her bubbly mood.

"She is correct," Lento sighed in defeat. "You will be joining her team-"

"And we're going to kick some demon booty!" Speka screamed at the top of her lungs. Her loud voice echoed throughout the base, some of her team mates cheered along with her. Lento mutely shook his head at the ruckus before taking his leave, not bothering to wish us a good night.

"You should be as carefree like your sister," Elsword whispered to Aisha with a wink. "She's not scary to be around."

"Oh shut up," she slapped him on the chest.

"I'm just kidding," he pulled her into a hug. Aisha folded her arms together and ignored him, but she failed to fight back the smile formed on her lips.

"Now that ol' grumpy pants is gone," Speka said after she was down shouting with her friends. "Let me tell you about this one cooking incident..."

We spent the next few hours listening to more of Speka's stories and sharing a a few of our own-at some point Eve and Amos returned to the campfire to join the fun. It was easy to forget why we came to Feita in the first place, our initial worries and doubts quickly faded with our laughter.

As the night dragged on my eyelids grew more heavy making it practically impossible to stay awake. Speka quickly grew aware of my fatigue and called over a friend over to assign us our tents. Aisha decided to bunk with her sister (Elsword insisted on joining her before being promptly turned down), Raven, Eve, and Amos were given a particularly bigger tent; Elsword ended up bunking with Chung, thus leaving me to bunk with another female knight-Speka also promised to get someone to inform her about my furry friend. Aisha insisted on letting me sleep in her small tent but I turned down her offer as I had a feeling my nightmares could easily wake the girls up.

After being assigned our tents we decided to call it a night and dispersed from the campfire. Speka guided us through the small camp to our tents, the tiny base was lit with the many torches positioned around the tents. It was a quiet and peaceful walk-if you could overlook the dark aura looming over the camp like a hawk. We passed by several knights on patrol who greeted Speka while acknowledging us with a brief nod. The tents we were all assigned to was fairly close to one another, they were only a couple of steps away from each other. We bade each other goodbye before retreating to bed.

When I got into my assigned tent I was fairly surprised to see the amount of room I had to myself. I had initially thought I'd had to sleep back to back with my "tent mate" but it seemed I had underestimated the space between us. On opposite sides of the dark tent laid two identical sleeping bags, one had a large backpack resting on top while the other was vacant (obviously left for me); in between was a few inches of grass separating us.

'I'm so glad I get some space to myself.' I dumped my bag down beside the sleeping bag and collapsed down onto the "bed".

_Rest up. The fights ahead may require all of your energy. _

'I know, Eun.' I fluttered my eyelids shut, I felt my entire body relaxing into the puffy sleeping bag. 'I hope I'll get a good sleep tonight.'

_For you sake I hope so too._

* * *

I woke up the following morning with my heart hammering viciously against my chest and my body drenched in sweat-the girl sleeping a few feet from me snored softly, oblivious to my blind panic. I took a quick breath in and held it as I grabbed my spear and made myself out the tent, I made sure to tiptoe out to make sure the girl would remain asleep.

I allowed myself to exhale and cry once I was safely out of the confined space. Yang, who was curled up beside the tent, awoke from my distress and came to comfort me. I cried into its soft fur for what felt like hours before I finally got myself to calm down. A few haunting images continued to flash through my head but it wasn't enough to cause me to break down again. Knowing I wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon I decided to pull Yang along to explore the base.

We passed by a couple of patrolling knights who were obviously curious to know why we were up so early. I made up the excuse that Yang needed some water to drink to which they kindly responded by giving me directions to a nearby river. I thanked the duo and walked in the direction they pointed us to.

The river, or should I say rivers, were located near the outskirts of the base. Both the bodies of water met at a weathered stone fountain which held the pouring water. I sat myself down, with Yang curled beside me, by the edge of the water and watched as the flowing water fell into the fountain, causing endless ripples to wrinkle the translucent surface. Unfortunately the trickling of the falling waters only intensified my fatigue, it became harder and harder to keep my eyelids open but I refused to let them drop-there was no way I'd let myself fall into another nightmare.

"Is waking up in the middle of the night normal for you?"

I snapped myself awake at his familiar voice. A part of me was glad someone I knew came to me at a time like this, but another part of me froze in fear. I kept my eyes glued onto the water and kept quiet as he sat himself beside me. Yang perked its head up at his arrival but fell back to sleep once it realized he was a friend.

"What are you doing up so late?" I asked flatly.

"I had trouble sleeping, thanks Elsword's constant snoring," Chung answered with a light chuckle. "That's when I heard someone crying."

Way to keep it stealthy, me. Next time I should just run to a secluded area before releasing the tears.

"I knew you were lying at Altera," he went on-I could feel his gaze burning on me. I swallowed and kept my eyes on the water. "I wanted to confront you sooner but that probably wouldn't make things better. I decided to wait until you calmed down and left before making my way out, I had a feeling you'd be looking for a quiet place."

"Creeper," I grinned.

"So what's wrong?" He pressed on, ignoring my remark. "What's been bothering you lately?"

It's been bothering me my entire life, I wanted to say, but I held myself back. I didn't want to scare him away with such information yet.

"Don't worry about it," I snapped-a tinge of guilt bloomed at my rude response. "Just...go back to sleep or something."

"You don't have to be afraid of sharing things with us," he ruffled my hair. I felt my face warm at his touch. "You probably haven't told anyone about _this, _have you?"

I bowed my head but didn't say a word back to him. He sighed and lifted his hand off my head. I was sure he would leave after another failed attempt to let me talk. Normally I'd be happy to be left alone to sulk, it was my problem alone after all, but tonight it felt painful to know he'd leave. For the first time, in a long time, I wanted someone to stay-but at the same time I felt myself trembling at the thought of sharing my past with them.

"Back then I was a pretty timid kid," I felt my eyes widening at his refusal to leave. "You probably don't believe me, all you know is the jerk who greeted you the first day you came to Ruben."

"You bet I do," I laughed, and for the first time since he came I found myself looking at him. I couldn't help but notice how blue his eyes were, like two water droplets plucked from the deepest and purest part of the ocean. It was also amazing how charming he looked even in simple pyjamas-okay I really need to stop drooling over my friend.

"I-I'm really sorry about that," he scratched the back of his neck. "I regret that a lot, but I understand if you still hate me."

You kissed him before; how could you hate him? A tiny voice said at the back of my mind. I forced that thought out of my head and answered," we had a terrible start, but you're really a cool guy." His eyes seemed to light up at my response.

"You don't have to lie. I know I'll need to work for your forgiveness and-"

"Seriously I don't hate you," I rested my hand on his arm and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "If I hated you I would make it painfully obvious."

"That's nice to know," he laughed.

"So tell me more about this timid part of you," I said, taking my hand off him. "I can't picture you being some shy nerd."

"I prefer the term geek," he corrected-I responded with an eye roll. "Back when I first joined, I always kept myself locked up in my room."

"What were you doing?"

"Studying," I arched my brow at his answer. "Hey, if I hadn't studied so hard my weapon wouldn't be as strong as it is today." He quickly defended. "Not to brag but I'm very skilled at alchemy a-and I was the one who redesigned my Destroyer...er cannon."

Fair enough.

"It took a long time to warm up to their life style but I eventually grew to trust them," he paused for a moment, allowing the trickling water to fill in the silence. "When I first told them about my dad I thought they'd see me as some weak kid."

He's never brought up his family before. I mused. I wonder what happened to his father and mother. Did he share a similar past with me? I hope he didn't have to go through the torture I had to endure all these years, no one deserved what I went through-but a part of me wished he had so I could relate to him and not feel so alone, it was a selfish wish.

"The truth is they all accepted it and even comforted me," he turned his head away from me. "T-they were always standing by my side. None of them treated me any differently, to them I was still their shy and smart friend."

I wanted to ask about his dad but decided to keep quiet as I knew family matters were always a touchy subject.

"My dad was corrupted by demons and he went rampant on the city." He added quietly, as if he could read my mind. "I was still weak and ignorant to fighting but I attempted to stop him anyways. Let's just say that wasn't my brightest idea."

"What happened?" I blurted.

"He beat the living day lights out of me." He laughed, turning his head back to me. I felt my chest tightening at his reddened eyes. "If the knights on duty that day hadn't come in time I would be pancake right now."

How could he talk about something so serious with a smile like that? I wish I could retell my past to someone with that same attitude.

"They escorted me to the hospital where I had to stay for an entire month." His voice dropped back to a more serious tone. "My dad had seemed to vanish into thin air but the knights weren't going to give up their search. While I was in that hospital bed I thought of only two things. First, was how badly I hated hospital food."

I found myself laughing in response. Once I had calmed myself down he went on," second, I realized how much I wanted to fight my dad and snap him back to his senses. It was the least I could do as his only son. So once I could use my legs again I signed up to train as a Red Knight. Lowe accepted my request in a heartbeat and claimed he was training kids around my age so that's how I met the team-though I prefer to call them friends rather than team mates."

"I-I'm so sorry that happened," I pulled him into a one-armed hug. "Is that the reason why you reacted so bitterly to me? Was it because I had demon powers that reminded you of your father?"

He returned the gesture," that's part of it." He whispered. A part of me wanted to know more about his father and reason to hating me, but decided that story would be for another day. It must have been hard enough for him to talk about such a subject.

"Is he still out there?" I asked, breaking our hug.

He shrugged," I hope he is."

Hearing his hope of reuniting with his father again reminded me of my quest to search for Aren-the only difference was Aren wasn't possessed by some demon and he certainly won't be fighting me when we reunite. As bad as this sounds, I was grateful Aren wasn't like his father.

"What I'm trying to say...don't be afraid, if you have something on your mind then tell someone-anyone," he said after a moment of silence. "I know it's hard to tell people your...problems, but you can trust us. Everyone on this team is here for you, no matter what we'll always be your friends."

His words hit me like a pile of bricks. I dropped my gaze and squeezed my burning eyes shut.

"You don't have to tell me," he went on softly. "You and Aisha seem pretty close. Sure she can be a bit loud and over dramatic at times but she's a great support. Elsword may be stupid but he'd be willing to climb an entire mountain for a friend. Back then Raven was a bit more quiet and cold, but he still did what he could to cheer you up; I'm sure he's willing to show more compassion and reassurance now. Talking to Eve back then was like talking to a brick wall, but she always had her funny little way of showing she cared. If you talk to her now I bet she'd show more emotion and comfort toward you-"

Simply knowing I had so many kind friends to fall-back on made my emotions run wild. The bigger the list got the harder it became to hold back the tears. Before Chung could finish I burst into tears, not because I was sad but because I was overwhelmed by the support I had with me. Chung didn't say anything as I cried my eyes out, he mutely pulled me into a hug and allowed me to let it all out.

When I thought I was finished crying I would try to thank Chung for the comfort, but I broke down shortly after as my mind reminded me of all the people he listed-it was difficult for me to believe the amount of people that actually cared about me, who would be there for me no matter what. It was this love and compassion I had yearned for so long, now I had finally found it in my friends-for once in my life I wasn't alone.

Chung finally let go of me when I managed to calm down. He sat in silence as I washed my face off in the water in front of us. I looked terrible after my little break down, strands of hair stuck to my reddened face and both my eyes were red and puffy from the tears.

"Sorry you have to see me like this," I sniffled with eyes glued on the hideous girl reflected on the water's surface. "I look like a witch."

"Hey, no one's asking you to look like a princess after crying." Chung replied, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Just look at me."

I sheepishly turned my head over to him, he flashed me a warm smile as our eyes locked onto one another. Butterflies danced in my stomach the longer I stared into those blue eyes.

"T-thank you for being here," I pried my eyes away. "Um t-thank you for caring about me. You don't know how much this means to me."

"No need to thank me," he wrapped an arm around me and pulled me in until my head was resting on his shoulder. "That's what a friend is for."

"If you keep saying things like that you're gonna make me cry again." I laughed despite the familiar burning in my eyes.

"Then cry," he kissed the top of my head-warmth burst through my chest. "I'll always be here to support you."

Maybe I should tell him about my past, it's only fair after he told me about his dad.

But what if he treats you differently? A skeptical voice challenged-I felt my stomach twisting at such a possibility. Your story is ten times worse than his, he'll probably treat you like some delicate little flower afterwards. Do you really want that sort of treatment?

_If you really choose to talk about your past then so be it. _Eun encouraged. _You should share your feelings with other humans. _

'It's not that I don't want to share my past with them, Eun. I'm just scared they'll look at me differently and treat me like some broken little girl.'

_If you trust your friend's words they should not give you an exclusive treatment. According to his experience, these people treated him the same way despite his difficult past. _

"You don't need to tell me or anyone right now," Chung added, I felt his grip around me tighten. "Just promise me you'll tell someone. It's not good to keep things to yourself."

_Do you trust these people enough to reveal such a secret? _

"I need to tell you guys one day," I replied to both Chung and Eun. "I might as well start with you."

"You sure?" He asked softly.

I nodded," you don't need to say anything, Chung. I just want you to listen."

"I promise I will," he whispered. "If you don't feel comfortable sharing something don't force yourself to."

"I-I need to get this off my chest," I felt my heart beat quickening as the memories began unfolding in my mind. I curled my lips together and sniffled," t-this is going to be difficult to get through, b-but please be patient and listen."

With another word of reassurance from Chung I began delving into my memories. I started my story by telling him my family background and the type of people my parents and brother were. It was easy to tell Chung how patient my mother was, how brave and hard-working my father was, and how much Aren worked to protect me and make our parents proud. The waterworks didn't start coming until I began talking about the invasion. I choked up a couple of times during my story, it was especially hard to go into detail about the attack, but I forced myself to continue talking despite the daggers sinking into my fractured heart. Chung kept quiet as I had requested and would only speak up to comfort me. I spent a couple minutes retelling those events but to me it felt like centuries of torture had passed-I knew it was going to be hard to tell him but I didn't think it'd rip me apart so easily.

"I've lost everything, my home, my parents, and my brother is missing. All I have left is this spear, my mother's necklace, and an old hair pin." I gestured to the spear resting in the grass. "T-the only hope I have is Aren. E-everyday I pray that he's alive, i-if he's dead my life would be meaningless."

"Don't say that," Chung answered almost instantly. "Your life is more than your brother's existence."

"But what am I suppose to do if he's gone?" My voice fell into a weak whisper. "I-I have no one left in my life."

"You have me," Chung's answer almost immediately made the tears fall from my eyes. "Elsword, Aisha, Eve, and Raven are all here with you. We're your friends and we care about you, don't you dare forget that."

Friends eh? I thought. Who would've thought I'd be blessed with such wonderful friends? I didn't do anything to deserve them-to deserve _him_.

"W-when did you become so nice to me?" I asked with a light chuckle. "Y-you're the last person I would picture myself opening up to."

"I'm surprised myself," he gently wiped the tears off my cheeks with his thumb. "I didn't think someone like you could make me laugh at my darkest moments."

"What?" I found myself looking at him once again.

His eyes softened as a smile stretched on his face," don't worry about it." He leaned in until his forehead was rested against mine.

My mind raced through a million thoughts at once as our eyes locked onto one another; only a few inches were left to separate us.

"If you have another nightmare come find me," he told me softly. "I'll comfort you."

"Are you sure about that? You'll be losing a lot of sleep that way." I warned him.

"I don't mind." I felt him pushing me back until both of us were laying on our backs. Above us were clumps of dark clouds blocking out the night sky.

"Thank you for listening." I said, snuggling into his warm body. "I really appreciate this."

"I'm glad I could help you," he answered with a yawn. "Do you think you'll be able to sleep now?"

A part of me wanted to answer no but I held myself back," I-I can try." I stammered.

"Don't worry I'll be here with you." He mumbled sleepily. "Promise me you won't try to keep things to yourself from now on."

I found myself smiling like an idiot at his remark, thank goodness he was too sleepy to notice it," I promise." I rested an arm on his chest and closed my eyes, I felt his soft heart beat knocking against the palm of my hand.

"Good night, demon freak." He whispered with a light chuckle.

"Sweet dreams, Rapunzel."


	62. 62

**VERY IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE!**

**Firstly I would like to thank everyone who has supported this story and tolerated my strange updating schedules. I wish I could update the story more but time is something I really don't have around this time of year.**

**This will be the only chapter for the next few weeks, I know some of you are already enjoying your summer break but I'm still at school preparing for finals and diplomas. Up until now I haven't had a chance to log on to write/edit; in other words, please be patient with the future chapters!**

**THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART FOR ALL YOU PEOPLE WHO SKIM THROUGH MY STUFF: while you guys wait for the new chapters I highly recommend reading the prologue again. You may or may not have noticed but I updated the early chapters to this story. I also added something to the prologue that YOU NEED TO KNOW as it will come into play in future chapters.**

**I'll probably get time to edit old chapters during exam week but I'm going to hold off on writing until all my tests are over. Also, don't have high hopes for new chapters during July and the beginning of August. I signed up for summer school this year and I'm also planning to balance a part-time job on top of everything, but I promise I'll find time to get you people some Yin Yang goodness :)**

**Thank you to everyone who read this far, you're the real MVP!**

I woke up the next morning still in Chung's warm embrace while Yang slept a few feet away from us-grunting occasionally in its sleep. Chung was still asleep when I came to but I decided not to wake him up, he looked so peaceful in his slumber. I closed my eyes and rested my face on his steadily rising chest and to his soft breaths along with the birds chiming around us. At some point Chung finally awoke from his sleep and told me to get ready for the day. I was reluctant to move from my spot in his arms but I abide to his request anyways-if we stayed like that any longer Aisha might stumble upon us and spread rumour.

One thing we both noted upon awakening was Feita's seemingly endless dark skies. We were both fairly sure that it was morning but the sky kept its dark hue-it was unsettling to say the least.

Chung headed back to his tent while I lingered by the water to wake Yang and wash myself off. Once I had finished, I hurried back to my tent to find my tent mate still asleep, I quickly unloaded extra clothes and a few personal belongings onto my sleeping bag before heading out again.

Breakfast was held at the same fireplace we had dinner last night. Chung and I were the first ones to arrive thus we were responsible for cooking the food given to us by the hunters of the base. One by one our team awoke and joined us by the fireplace. We made small-talk with one another but our conversations were always cut short due to the early morning drowsiness.

I was in a fairly good mood during breakfast and willingly offered my food to Chung (something I hadn't done in a very long time). Chung was reluctant to take the food and allowed me to keep half of it-what a gentleman. Eve and Aisha took notice of my actions and wasted no time to tease us, normally I'd snap at them for making assumptions but I was in too good of a mood to do so. I shrugged off their comments and enjoyed my meal in blissful silence.

Everyone grew more energized once they had eaten, conversations bloomed left and right as we prepared supplies for the day's mission. Once the day's supply was delivered to our camp fire, Speka left the camp fire early to meet up with her team and asked that we waited for her to get us. We finished packing fairly early so we sat around the dying fire talking as we waited for our escort to pick us up.

"Sis gave me some information about the temple." Aisha said, pulling out a note book from her backpack. She flipped to a bookmark page with eyes skimming swiftly through its contents. "The building is fairly old and was built like an old winding tower, with various floors in between."

"Is it safe to go in?" Eve asked with Amos sitting on her lap.

"She said the tower is known to have some...loose ends." Aisha answered hesitantly. "Um she said it's not exactly a safe place for kids to be in."

Eve and Raven instantly exchanged worried glances. As if sensing his guardian's discomfort with the information Amos quickly piped in," don't worry, guys. I can play with that glasses kid instead of coming along."

Elsword snickered at the way Amos addressed Allegro.

"I hope Allegro doesn't mind," Raven mused. "Maybe we should speak with him before leaving."

"I spoke with him yesterday," Eve replied. "He-"

"He said he didn't mind looking after me!" Amos cut Eve off. "He even promised me he'll teach me how to make some cool potions."

"Just promise me you won't go try tasting some weird substance," Raven said, ruffling the young Ponggo's head. "We wouldn't want you to get sick."

"I'll be okay, Raven." Amos pushed his hand aside in a fit of giggles. "I'm not a little kid anymore."

"You look like it to me, little guy." Raven kept messing with Amos' head despite his protests.

"If you are so grown up I bet you can survive my secret tickle attack." Eve piped in. Amos burst in laughter and tried to squirm his way out but Eve and Raven refused to let him go-they were all laughing along with the young Ponggo.

I felt a tinge of pain in my chest upon seeing Amos' interaction with Raven and Eve. I knew Raven and Eve were not Amos' real parents but they sure acted like it, treating Amos like he was their own kid. Seeing them fool around reminded me of my family and the fun we used to have together. I pried my eyes away from them and gazed down on the burnt wood left behind from our fireplace; I had no doubt Chung noticed my change in mood.

"Sorry to keep everyone waiting." Speka came running back to our circle with a large brown backpack hanging from her shoulders. "We're all ready to leave now..." Her eyes averted to the laughing trio. "Um am I interrupting something?"

"Sorry we got a little carried away." Eve said in between laughter. Amos rolled off her lap once his guardians had freed him from their_ "wrath"_.

"I'm free!" He shouted with arms raised in the air. "They'll never catch me now!" He took off running to the neighbouring fireplace where Allegro was at.

"Kids," Raven said with an eye roll. "How can they have so much energy?"

"Oh shush," Eve playfully slapped Raven on the arm-he winced from the hit. " According to my research, kids are supposed to be jumping with energy."

With loving parent figures like Raven and Eve who wouldn't be bursting with energy? I thought grimly to myself. He's so lucky to have such loving people to look after him, unlike me when I was his age. A lump grew at the back of my throat and grew uncomfortably large as past memories flashed through my mind.

Everyone dove into a conversation as we followed Speka to her team. I lingered at the back to avoid talking with anyone-I didn't want to talk to anyone yet.

"Hey," a hand rested gently on my shoulder. "You okay?"

I shook my head as my eyes burned from the reminders of the past.

"It must be hard," Chung wrapped an arm around me-thank goodness we were at the back where no one could see us. "Sorry, Ara, I don't know what to say."

"Y-you're here for me," I told him in a soft whisper. "That's enough."

And that wasn't a lie.

* * *

From the outside the tower-like structure looked fairly new and well-kept, the entire structure was covered in what appeared to be circular windows, each gave off an eerie blue light-I felt my stomach twisting into knots as we approached the entrance. Its stone walls barely showed any signs of damage and there didn't seem to be any demons around to guard the entrance.

"Welcome to Feita Temple," Speka announced as we neared the entrance. "Inside you will see some dead bodies and demons, lots of demons."

"I-I'm getting goosebumps," Aisha stammered, at the corner of my eyes I could see her leaning toward Elsword.

"Yeah, it feels pretty awful here." He wrapped an arm around his girlfriend.

"It doesn't get better for you guys inside," Speka warned while summoning her staff out from dark purple particles. "For me the dark energy inside is beautiful." She added gently.

I sometimes forgot Speka was a Dark Mage especially since she acts so happy and kind now.

Yang snared as we took our first step into the building, I bit my lip and held back a growl Eun let out. I could see why my two companions felt so distressed, something about the temple put me on edge-the air inside seemed to weigh down on us.

A long and dark hallway stretched in front of the entrance, most of the space was filled with debris and decaying bodies of fallen demons. Stone pillars stretched along the short corridor of the temple, in the shadows I could see dark figures looming behind the pillars, the demons were obviously waiting to ambush us.

"There's stairs leading up to our former base at the end of this hall," Speka halted and held her arm out to stop us from proceeding forward. "Normally we could walk right in but lately the demons have been more sneaky with their attacks."

Speka pointed her staff down the seemingly empty and erupted a chain of fireball from it. The fireballs briefly lit up the path ahead as it went down the hall, the various demons lurking behind the pillars were revealed in the dim amber light. Our enemies snared at Speka's attack, evidently irritated that she had foiled their ambush.

"That was almost too easy," Speka grinned.

I hopped onto Yang's back as the dark figures emerged from their hiding spots," they're coming at us now," I warned.

"Ara, use Yang's fire to light up the path." Elsword commanded, I heard him unsheathing his dual swords.

"Yang, spit some fire down the hall." I ordered.

Yang grunted in response before taking a step forward. I felt its stomach rumble just as it spat out long breath of fire, its flame nearly lit up the entire corridor. The demons were caught off guard by our attack thus many were lit on fire. The hall dimmed once Yang had finished its attack but the demons who were caught in the flames were still burning in the fire-their burning bodies lit up portions of the dark hallway but it was enough for my friends to fight.

"My team, let's roll out!" Speka shouted, her friends cheered at the order and charged into the darkness.

"If they're going then we should too!" Elsword piped in with just as much energy. Without another word we charged into the battles behind our new allies.

Yang, Speka, and Aisha focused on blasting the enemies with fire in hopes of lighting up the hallway more and achieving a quick kill. Unfortunately the demons were now prepared and moved swiftly to avoid the flames. Yang tried attacking a few more times with fire before giving up and confronting the demons with an old fashion head to head combat. I helped Yang damage its opponents but it wasn't easy inflicting pain on these demons in particular. Many were equipped with armor which made it hard for our weapons to penetrate them and some even had weapons on them.

Every one of us were wounded in some way during the fight, and though many of the demons had fallen to Yang's initial attack, we were quickly being cornered by the enemies. If we hadn't taken down some of the other demons I doubt we would've lasted for so long.

"Speka, we're being overwhelmed." One of Speka's friends shouted. "We can't keep this up."

"I-I know," Speka answered in between breaths. "B-but we can't give up now. We haven't defeated so many demons before."

Wow, if it's this hard to defeat the ones at the entrance I can't imagine what it'll be like to fight the demons ahead. I thought as my spear finally broke through my foe's armor. I pulled my weapon out and allowed Yang to finish it off.

"M-maybe we should use it." Another friend piped in. "I-I've been practising on building up my magic concentration a-and-"

"No," Speka answered almost instantly. She surrounded herself with fireballs before dispersing them out. I quickly jumped to the side as one of the fire balls zoomed toward me. "No one is using _that._"

"W-what are you talking about?" Aisha piped in.

I perked my head up instantly at the soft footsteps behind me. Without a moment of hesitation I lunged my spear at the demon creeping behind me, they reacted quickly and collided their dagger into the blade of my spear-our weapons clanging mercilessly into one another. I withdrew my weapon and doubled back, Yang rushed forward and managed to catch the demon's small body in its jaw.

"Sis, you've been training for a long time." Speka went on hastily. "Y-you must have been trained to use the secret skill."

I had to look away as Yang's jaw tightened on its prey. The metal armor crunched under its fangs, the demon let out one last cry of pain before falling silent-I wrinkled my nose at the metallic stench adding onto the battlefield.

"Speka," Elsword was now interested in their conversation. "Don't tell me-"

"I never considered using it," Speka cut him off. "B-but I know friends who have used it."

What's this secret skill? I wanted to ask but decided it would be best if I stayed quiet and listened.

"Never mind, w-we need to focus of taking down these demons." Speka quickly added.

"We need to find a better way at taking these demons down," Raven piped in. "Eve and I can't fight any longer."

Speka cursed," but we made so much progress."

"We'll make more the next time we enter," Aisha pointed out. "We need a new plan of action-something that'll help us get through here faster."

Speka was silent for a brief moment before replying," f-fine."

"Speka and I are calling a retreat," Elsword shouted. Almost instantly the knights groaned and cursed but didn't complain any further as they ran to the only exit.

I hopped onto Yang's back and quickly directed us toward the exit. Many of the knights retreating stayed behind me and my mount as Yang spat fire out fire at any enemies blocking our path.

"Aren't they cute?" A little girl's voice sounded faintly behind us.

"I think you're cuter than those bugs." A male's voice piped in.

I snapped my head back to see two dark figures standing at the end of the corridor, even from a distance I could see one of them was a female and one was a male. The demons seemed to gather around them but not in a threatening way as none of them drew their weapons against the duo.

"I can't wait to see their blood stained on our floors." The girl giggled-her laugh sent chills down my spine.

"Now, now, that would only make more work for us." The male scolded. "I hate cleaning dead bodies."

"They make excellent fuel for our fireplace," the girl pointed out. "Besides, there's really no need to clean up after them when our army of hungry demons can deal with the remains."

They got out of ear-shot once we had exited the temple. I felt my breakfast threatening to make another appearance as I replayed their words through my head. I didn't know who they were but I certainly didn't want to cross their path anytime soon.

* * *

When we returned to base Allegro quickly treated us with various healing potions. I sustained less sever injuries than most of my friends so Lento sent me out to patrol until the others were ready to discuss a new plan of action. I expected to be patrolling the base, like many of the knights I had seen, but instead of staying in the safe confides of the base I was sent to some place called Dead Man's Hill-luckily I was able to bring Yang along with me. He claimed the spot was sacred to the many knights working with him and was not a place he wished for demons to lurk; I wasn't too happy to be patrolling outside of base but once I had arrived I realized how important my job was.

Dead Man's Hill was littered with tomb stones, some broken and weathered while others stood unscathed with a fresh patch of dirt in front of it. The area was covered in an ominous purple fog, but despite its unusual hue the fog had no negative effects on us. At the centre of the massive graveyard was a lake with two angel statues standing guard on either sides of the body of water. The water was tainted with a purple colour, and as far as I could see, no fish lived in its tainted waters.

Despite the poor conditions I could see why the Feita Knights would want to protect it. This was the place where their friends were put to rest, a place where they can share stories of success and failure to those they lost on the battlefield. It may not have been important to me but I knew I had to put in my best efforts for all of Speka's friends.

I pulled Yang tightly along with me as I thread further into the graveyard, I didn't want Yang running off to some tomb stone and digging into it nor did I want my precious Phoru to go drinking in the lake's water. My patrol was fairly bland until I felt an all too familiar aura filling the area, Yang grew more hysteric as I approached closer to the aura's source-a petite figure began forming in the fog's blanket as I drew closer.

"S-Scarlet?" I squinted my eyes to get a better look at her.

"Ara?" The figure quickly came running toward me. A smile stretched on my face at the familiar red-head coming my way.

Scarlet was still wearing her black cloak with the addition of a small purse and a red scarf around her neck-I found myself smiling at her willingness to wear the scarf I bought her.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" I asked, but just as I was about to take a step closer to her Yang jumped in between us. It stood defensively in front of me and bared its teeth at Scarlet; to my surprise Scarlet didn't scream nor run away. Instead she looked down at my furry friend and smiled.

"Hi there, big guy." She softened her voice and knelt down to meet Yang in the eyes. "You must care about Ara very much to be acting like this."

Yang snarled in response. Scarlet giggled and gently held her hand out toward it, Yang tilted its head away to avoid contact.

"Yang, be nice." I tried pulling Yang back but the Ancient Phoru refused to budge from its spot. "Sorry, Yang isn't usually like this."

"Don't be sorry," Scarlet answered with eyes still glued on Yang. "A monster's loyalty is often comparable to a dog's."

"Monster? Don't you mean demon?" I corrected.

Scarlet shook her head and attempted to pet Yang once more, but she quickly retreated her hand back as Yang tried to snap its jaw at it. "Monsters and demons aren't the same, Ara." Scarlet explained while standing back up again. "Monsters are more animal-like while demons can think with more complexity, like us humans. Many confuse the two definitions."

That would explain why Eun could talk but Yang can't. I wonder why Scarlet knew of such a definition, not even the Red Knights know that the two are different.

"Travelling can teach you a lot." Scarlet added with a wink. "Oh I almost forgot." Yang's body tensed as she dug her hand in the small purse, I pulled back on Yang's reins to keep it from lashing out.

"I managed to land myself a part-time job, I worked for months to save up for these." She said, pulling out two silk ribbons; one was pure black while the other was white with golden edges. " I spent all my money to get these, I thought they'd look cute in your hair."

"Scarlet," I gasped. "I-I can't accept such an expensive gift."

"Oh hush, it was nothing compared to what you bought me." She held the two ribbons out toward me. "Just think of it as my way of saying thanks."

If Mother was here she'd be yelling at me to let Scarlet keep the expensive gift, she was never fond of people spending large amounts of cash on us.

"I-If you insist," I hesitantly reached out for my gift. Yang kept its eyes glued on our hands during the exchange, but thankfully decided not to lash out on Scarlet.

"Seriously though, thank you so much for getting this scarf for me." Scarlet placed her hand gently on the red scarf. "You don't know how much this gift means to me."

"I'm glad you like it." I smiled. I gazed down at the two ribbons hanging from my hand, a part of me wanted to put them on while the other wanted to wait until we got home so it wouldn't be wrecked. I'd hate to meet up with Scarlet and have her see the ribbons ruined.

"Y'know, Ara, it's been a very long time since someone got me a gift." Scarlet began with a light chuckle. "Maybe the whole travelling thing wasn't such a good idea."

I wanted to stand closer to her but I part of me feared Yang would attack her if we got too close. "Um, do you ever get lonely?" I asked reluctantly.

Scarlet stared blankly into space before turning her gaze up to the darkened sky," I haven't thought of that until I arrived here." She whispered. "Something about this place makes me...sad. Like all the memories I've been trying to forget is coming back."

Now she had my interest. I told Scarlet to wait a minute before guiding Yang to a nearby tree. The Ancient Phoru snarled and trashed as I tied its rein to the thick tree bark. I whispered a quick apology to Yang before making my way toward Scarlet, Yang only grew more hysterical as I drew closer to her-luckily the tree stood up firmly against Yang's trashing.

"Sorry, Yang is acting really weird today." I glanced back at Yang who was now gnawing at its reins.

"It's fine," Scarlet waved her hand dismissively. "I think my magic might be making the poor thing uncomfortable."

"Maybe..."

A crow cawed somewhere in the graveyard before flapping its wings, my eyes absentmindedly followed dark feathered figure gliding above us.

"Ara, do you remember anything from your childhood?" Scarlet asked after a moment of silence. "Like do you remember the friends you had, the games you played...the family you grew up with?"

"Um y-yeah..." I found myself taken aback by her random question. "I remember my family the most."

Scarlet's eyes dimmed in response," how...nice." She shifted her foot uncomfortably. "Tell me, what's it like to wake up to a mom and dad everyday? To have food on the table and a roof over your head? Did you guys ever fight? What was it like to be mad at your parents? Oh and how did you choose which parent you preferred?"

I felt my jaw dropping at her unusual questions but it only took me seconds to realize what she was implying," Scarlet," I began, my fingers played feverishly with the edge of one of the silk ribbons. "I-if you don't mind me asking, what happened to your family?"

"I-I...I shouldn't be telling you this, Ara, I don't even know you that well yet." Scarlet smiled. "I-I don't even know why I blurted so much out to you."

"It doesn't matter how much you know me," I answered, her eyes widened at my response. "If you need someone to listen then I'll be more than happy to be that person."

"Ara..." Her seemingly perfect smile quivered. "Why are you so nice to me?"

"Because everyone deserves someone to listen to them." I softened my voice. "I understand if you want to keep it a secret though."

Her shoulders tensed," I-I can't turn down an offer like that...but p-please don't run away from me when I say it." She held out her pinky-finger to me. "You have to promise not to run away."

I wrapped my pinky-finger around hers and replied," I won't run away, Scarlet. I promise I won't."

"Thanks," she let her hand drop to her side. "I uh lost my entire village at a very young age."

I felt my heart shattering as the first sentence came out. I wanted to say something to her but decided to stay quiet and listen, just like Chung had when I told him my story.

"My parents gave me a backpack and told me to run as far away as I could." She sniffled. "I-I ran as far as my tiny legs would take me. S-somehow I got up to this giant hill which gave me an entire view of my home. E-everything I knew and grew up with was on fire, nothing was spared from the hate of my attackers."

She looked up and blinked her glassy eyes. I placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"N-no one would help me. S-so I had to survive on my own." She began to cry. "I grew up hiding i-in various places, my least favourite place was in cities s-since I was forced to watch girls m-my age have friends and a l-loving family. D-do you know what it's like to see other people happy but know that you'll never get the same happiness as them?"

I pulled her into a tight hug and allowed her to cry on my shoulders; her body shook in my grip and tears soaked into my robe.

"I-I always wish I had a somebody to fall back on, but just knowing I'd never have that killed me on the inside." She went on. "I-I wanted a mom and dad to be there with me. I wanted a warm home, fresh food, and a soft bed to sleep on. W-what did I do to deserve such a horrible life?"

She's just like me, a part of me cheered that someone would truly understand but I was instantly filled with guilt as the thought sunk into my head.

"I did get admitted into an orphanage, a-and I'm grateful since they taught me so much." She hiccuped. "B-but nothing made me feel welcomed. I-I was a weird kid and no one wanted to play with me, a-and all the adults didn't seem to care if I disappeared or not."

"Is that the reason why you started travelling?" I asked, I felt her bobbing her head.

"I-if I could get away from society maybe then I-I wouldn't feel so bad." She explained in between sobs. "I-I liked learning about new things during my travels, b-but it didn't help.I could run to the other side of the world b-but that wouldn't get me away from...m-myself. I-I could never escape my past, m-my mind-my personal prison. B-but do you know what the worst part is, Ara?"

"What is it?"

Her body tensed," i-it's knowing no one would understand m-my pain." She bawled with arms gripping onto me tightly, like a scared child holding onto their mother-their only source of comfort.

I kept my arms around her and whispered small words of encouragement to her, all the while trying to keep myself from crying. I wanted to tell her so badly that I understood everything, the pain, the loneliness; the memories, but I knew better than to start talking about myself while she was still letting all her emotions out.

Once she had calmed down I broke the hug. We stood in comfortable silence, with only Yang's weakened protests to break the void.

"Sorry for dumping all of that on you." Scarlet finally spoke up. "I-I know it's impossible for you to understand, but thank you for listening to me."

"Scarlet, I-I know what it's like." I confessed hesitantly. She fell silent, I took this as a queue to continue. "The truth is, I also lost my entire village. T-the only survivor was me, but unlike you I was found by travellers who brought me to an orphanage."

"You had friends though, right?" Scarlet asked flatly.

"I had a few but I was never close to any of them." I admitted, a small smile crept on my lips at the blurred memories of my life after the attack. "I-I was grateful to even have friends, but I was still lonely. What hurt me the most was being around other kids but still feeling like I had no one to rely on."

"Oh, Ara." This time it was Scarlet who pulled me into a hug. I felt a few burning tears squeezing out from my eyes. "That sounds way worse than my situation."

"T-they're both equally as bad." I wrapped my arms around her again. "We both suffered through the same fate, b-but the only difference now is that we have each other to fall back on."

"Y-you really want to be friends with someone like me?" Her voice dropped to a weak whisper.

"Of course," I found myself unable to hold back the tears from spilling. "W-will you accept someone like me as a friend?"

"I do," Scarlet buried her face into my shoulder once again. "I-I'll be more than happy to b-be friends with someone like you, Ara."


	63. 63

**Now that I'm finally finished failing all my exams it's time to resume writing! Hope the long wait didn't make you forget what happened in the story so far xD**

** But before we start I have something I'd like to say to everyone here. One thing I hate about this website is that it won't let me reach out to you guys when I need to the most, so what I say now will be "outdated" but it's still important nonetheless.**

**We all know what happened in Orlando, and we all know the events that took place was horrible. I don't know if you lost someone you cared about during those two events, and if you did my heart goes out to you. What took place was disgusting and I can't even begin to imagine the kind of pain you're going through right now. But I do know one thing. You can make it through this hard time. It may seem like an endless dark tunnel but you will make it through this, don't give up! You're so much stronger than you think you are and I know you will get through these dark times. If anything I believe in you. **

**That's all I really wanted to say, I don't know if that helped anyone but I really hope that message reached out to someone. **

**Please be nice to each other, guys. We don't need anymore hate in this world. **

**Anyways I hope you enjoy this chapter. Remember to always stay awesome! :) **

I quickly forgot about my assignment in the foggy graveyard as my seemingly endless conversation with Scarlet progressed. We talked about anything that popped in our minds, it ranged from our shared dislike for slow walkers to our common love for small animals. One thing I picked up from our extended talk was Scarlet's passion and excitement for adventuring with friends. She kept asking me about the adventures I've been through and shared her many dreams of camping, hiking, and exploring with a group of friends.

I insisted she could join the team but she refused almost immediately. At first her response struck me as odd, if she really dreamed of exploring with friends she should've jumped on my offer without a moment of hesitation; but I let this small detail slide as it was probably still hard for her to be around lots of people.

Yang continued to trash and snarl from its restraints, its irrational behaviour seemed to intensify as I drew closer to Scarlet. I scolded my Phoru for being so rude but not even my words could calm it back down-but that alone wasn't enough to scare Scarlet away from me.

"W-wow, how long have we been talking?" I asked after an unknown amount of time had passed.

"Who cares?" Scarlet giggled. "Let's talk until all night. I always loved having late night conversations...with myself."

We both laughed at her remark while Yang grunted with distaste.

"I used to talk to myself too," I told her in between laughter. "I used to have imaginary arguments with others while I'm in the shower."

"Ara, that's so mean." Scarlet teased. "I have _nice _conversations with my imaginary friends, it would suck if I pissed them off."

"Forget about them," I wrapped an arm around Scarlet-she stiffened at the touch but relaxed once she realized it wasn't a threatening gesture. "You got me now." She laughed in response.

"Thanks, Ara." She said softly. "I'm really happy to have you talking with me."

"It's what friends are for." I slipped my hand off her shoulder. "I'm happy I got to talk with you too, Scarlet."

Yang smashed its body against the tree, as if wanting to knock it out from the ground.

Her cheeks flushed with light pink," I think what makes me most happy is having someone who understands me." She rested her head on my shoulder and sighed," you'r so lucky, Ara. Unlike me you already found a good group of friends. I bet you guys talk to each other about everything at night, even if they don't understand you still have so many great people to lean on."

Then why don't you join us? I wanted to ask, but kept my mouth shut. Instead I answered," to be honest we don't spend late nights talking."

"What?" Scarlet gasped, lifting her head up. "Why not?"

"I guess it would be nice if we could dedicate some time to talk about personal matters, we don't really have serious talks until something really bad happens." I confessed.

"That sucks," Scarlet's lips fell into a small frown.

"I-I guess I have to give him credit for talking to me last night," I mumbled to myself with warmed cheeks.

"Who are you talking about?"

"N-no one." I replied almost instantly-how was she able to hear me? I guess I need to work on my whispering skills.

Scarlet leaned in with a sly grin stretched on her face," I know you're hiding something." She sang. "I bet you're talking about a boy."

"I-I don't-" I stopped myself to think of a better response. "Y-you can't prove-t-there's nothing like that."

"You suck at lying." She rolled her eyes. "I only talk to you, Ara, there's no one else I'll gossip to." She bit on her lower lip and smiled. "That's if you don't count my imaginary pals."

She does have a good point. What's the harm in telling her, right? I bet it'd make her happy if I was to share more things with her, it'd reassure her that I'm her friend. I already shared my past with her; what else have I got to lose?

"W-well, there's this guy-"

"I knew it!" Scarlet squealed, her voice bouncing loudly through the blanket of fog. "You may continue." She winked.

I scoffed at her interruption but went on anyway," he was a real jerk when I met him, if you were to leave us in the same room I'd probably try to beat him up." I felt my chest warming as my mind raced for the correct words to say. "B-but as I got closer to the team he started warming up to me. At first it was small gestures like cheering me up and looking after me in battle, but now he's treating me like a true...friend."

"Just a friend?" Scarlet arched her brow.

"W-well," I turned my eyes elsewhere to avoid her gaze. "We do talk and make fun of each other like good friends, but when I'm around him my chest feels funny and I always find myself blushing."

Scarlet squealed at my confession. She quickly apologized and gestured me to continue.

"I-I don't know," I tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear. "Whenever I feel down h-he always seems to know what to say. I-I also feel incredibly happy when I'm with him-I still feel happy when I'm with the others, don't get me wrong, but he's not like them. Sure he annoys me from time to time and he isn't always as nice as everyone else, but t-that's what I like about him."

"Oh my goodness, Ara." Scarlet bounced at my confession and wrapped herself around my arm. "You totally have a crush on him."

"A-a crush?" I quoted.

"I don't know who this boy is but I'm wishing you the best of luck in the future."

"Stop it, Scarlet," I lowered my head with my heartbeat pounding in my ears. "I-it's not like that."

"You say that now, honey." She giggled. "But I _know _something will happen."

" Uh huh, sure it will."

"O-oh I apologize, you've been talking to me for so long your team mates must be worried about you." Scarlet pried herself from my arm with a large toothy smile plastered on her pale face. "You should get going now."

"I could stay a bit longer with you," I insisted. "You need a friend more than ever right now."

"Ara, I appreciate the thought but I'd hate to worry your friends." She pulled me into a tight hug, burying her face into my shoulder. "Thanks for listening, Ara. That's the best thing anyone has ever done for me."

I closed my eyes and hugged her back," if you ever need anything just come find me." I whispered into her ear. "I'll always be here to listen."

She kept me in her arms for a few extra seconds before breaking the hug, her eyes reddened again with tears," take care, Ara. I'll be expecting to see you alive and healthy the next time I come find you."

"That applies to you too." I told her.

Scarlet waved goodbye to me before taking her leave, I kept my eyes on her until her small dark figure was completely engulfed by the fog. Sighing I went back to untie Yang from the tree, at this point it had already calmed down.

"What's gotten into you," I asked, untying the knot around the tree trunk.

Yang whimpered and perked its head up to lick my face, as if asking me for forgiveness. I couldn't help but laugh as its wet tongue tickled my cheeks, all the frustration and anger I held before was quickly wiped away with the simple gesture.

"Okay, okay, I forgive you." I scratched it behind its ear-it tilted its head and shut its eyes, I swore I could see Yang smiling.

"But don't blame me if I have to tie you up to a tree the next time you act up."

* * *

When I got back to base I was given a lecture from Lento about staying out on patrol for too long, not taking the team's feelings in consideration, blah, blah, blah. It took forever for him to finish speaking and by the time he was done dinner had started without us. My friends teased me about getting in trouble just before launching into a scolding of their own-needless to say, my night was mostly filled with people telling me how worried they were.

The camp fire was dim by the time the team had finished the meal and my scolding. Silence had consumed us as the amber light in the centre slowly withered into darkness. Yang was asleep beside me with Amos curled up on its tummy-seeing the two fur balls asleep easily made my heart melt.

"So what's the attack plan?" Aisha asked, finally breaking the silence. "We obviously can't go charging in there like we did today."

"Sadly the progress we made today was better than usual," Speka added quietly.

"Lento and I had a heated discussion about what we should do," Elsword began, he got himself up from the ground and began pacing around the dying flames. "The argument was _bad. _I think I was close to getting stabbed, but luckily he spared me from his wrath."

"What does this have to do with the plan?" Raven arched his brow.

"I'm gettin' to that, just hold your robotic horses." Elsword chuckled-Raven didn't laugh back. "A-anyway, we ended up coming up with two plans. One is a bit more _safe _while the other is dangerous but effective-the dangerous one was my idea."

"Of course it would be." I blurted causing a few of my friends to laugh.

"Lento suggested we get all our best mages out on the field and burn everything." Elsword went on, ignoring my remark. "We know the tower is dark so we obviously need light. Carrying flashlights around would be a hassle; so why not just use the demons' bodies as fuel for the fire?"

"Sounds-"Aisha bit her lower lip."-Umm, very morbid."

"That's what I thought," Elsword answered with a wink. "Great minds think alike, Aisha. This is why we make a power couple."

"Just get on with the information, man." Chung piped in.

Elsword narrowed his eyes on Chung for interrupting but went on anyway," the second more amazing plan was to use the El Shard for light." Almost instantly the air grew heavy. I exchanged looks with a few friends, each held the same worried expression as the other.

"Dude, I don't think taking an all powerful object into a hoard of demons would be a good idea." Chung pointed out matter-of-factly.

"But think about it," Elsword added quickly. "We won't only have the ultimate flashlight but a super powerful weapon as well."

"But what if an enemy takes it?" Eve challenged, folding her arms. "How can you be certain of the Shard's safety?"

"But what other option do we have?" Elsword stopped pacing around the circle, his eyes glued on the amber light eating away the last of the firewood. "I guess we could barbecue the demons with mages, but that would only drain our allies. A better way to approach it would be to use a powerful magical item and save our mages' energy for the actual fight."

"You do bring up a good point," Speka pointed out. "And if we're taking that route we could easily advance to the second floor and recapture it on the same day."

Aisha's eyes lit up almost instantly," I have a great idea," she said, snapping her fingers together. "What if we use the Fire Shard to roast the entrance demons; and have two different troops fighting? One will focus on capturing the base level while the other advances up to the second floor."

"That's still as morbid as the first plan," Elsword teased-Aisha scowled at his comment. "But I see where you're coming from." He quickly added.

"Will we have enough people to execute that plan though?" I asked-almost instantly Aisha's face fell to a frown.

"Don't worry about that," Speka piped in. "Rumour has it that another team is heading our way tonight, we'll have more than enough people fighting tomorrow."

"That's fantastic," Eve smiled, uncrossing her arms. "If all goes well then by tomorrow we will have two levels of the tower under our control."

"Elsword, we should inform Lento about the plan." Aisha said, springing up to her feet.

"Right," he hurried to his girlfriend's side. "I want everyone here to get a good rest tonight. Tomorrow will be a big day for us if this plan is approved."

We bid the two lovebirds goodnight before they took off, hand in hand, to find Lento. The rest of us decided to retire to our tents shortly after their leave, we put out the barely lit fire and began our way back to the tents-Yang trailed sleepily behind us with Amos knocked out on its back, Raven and Eve stayed by his side in case he slipped off.

"We trained for months trying to perfect the ultimate skill and yet we're never allowed to use it," I heard a knight complaining from one of the passing tents.

Almost instantly I noticed my friends had slowed their pace. I slowed down with them, not bothering to ask why they were suddenly interested in that conversation.

"It's dangerous," the knight's friend answered. "There's a reason why the teachers only pass on this skill to their most trusted students."

"But it can take down all the strong demons up in the shrine. Plus I kinda wanna see the Night Warrior in action."

"You want to risk your life just to see some random person join the fight?"

"The Night Warrior always comes to the rescue...or when someone prepares that kind of attack."

"Should we warn them?" Aisha asked in a soft whisper.

"Nah," Chung answered equally as quiet. "I think their friend will be able to talk some sense into them."

I hesitated for a moment before asking," what are they talking about?"

Chung cursed," I forgot you were with us." He gestured the group to pick up the pace, everyone listened without protest. I tried to linger behind to catch more of the conversation but he pushed me forward with the others.

I bombarded my friends with questions but none of them answered. They had their eyes glued on the floor with their face drained of colour-I decided to shut up upon seeing their sullen expressions.

Once we were out of earshot from the two knights Chung finally broke the silence," it's something you'll learn later on, when Lowe trusts you'll be responsible with it."

"I'm responsible," I crossed my arms. "Why can't you tell me now?"

"We don't have the final word as to whether or not you're ready for it." Aisha piped in rather sternly; she tightened her lips together and added," it's something you can't joke around with."

"Are you saying I'm not trusted enough with this secret?" I snapped. "I-I've been improving and-"

"We're not saying your aren't trustworthy," Raven cut me off. "It's just...something that needs to be respected."

"Look, once Lowe determines your ready he'll tell you about it." Chung patted me on the back and smiled tightly. "Just keep working hard and one day he'll teach you it."

One day as in a couple of years? There's no way I'd want to stay clueless for that long.

I huffed but didn't add onto the conversation. A part of me wanted to punch someone in the group as I felt pushed out from this shared secret, it wasn't fair that they got to know everything while I was left in the dark-as friends we should share everything with each other.

I didn't say any to them through the rest of the walk back. We waved each other goodbye before heading off into our individual tents. I stayed in my tent for a good five minutes before poking my head out to examine the area. Once I was sure no one was out from their tent I tip toed my way out and made my way back to the two arguing knights, leaving Yang behind to not raise suspicion.

If they weren't going to tell me what this skill was then I'd try to find out myself.

* * *

I spoke with the two knights about the secret skill they were arguing about, unfortunately none of them wanted to tell me as it would get them in trouble for telling someone-it was a fruitless effort on my part. While I didn't get learn anything about this exclusive skill I did get new information about this Night Warrior.

According to the knights no one knew of the Warrior's identity. They quite literally just showed up one day and helped them fight. They tended to make an appearance when someone was about to use the ultimate skill or when the troops were in danger-it made me wonder why they didn't come to rescue us.

I briefly thanked the knights before making quick a detour to the fountain, there were just too many questions in my mind to sleep on. I sat myself down on the cold grass and gazed blankly at the crystal clear water as my mind surfed through the many questions arising from today.

Who were the two figures I saw just before leaving? Why doesn't this Night Warrior make their identity known to the Knights? Is it because they are a criminal wanting repentance outside of jail; or do they simply want the fame of being a masked hero? And finally why was everyone so reluctant to tell me about the ultimate skill? That being said, if they knew of this skill why doesn't anyone want to use it? Is it really that difficult to execute?

"Do you know anything, Eun?" I asked, pulling my legs up to my chest.

_I may have a clue as to what this skill is. _

"R-really?" I felt a large smile stretch on my face; I half-expected Eun to be as clueless as I was. "Why didn't you say anything before?"

_I feared you would perform this skill carelessly. _

"Really, Eun?" I snapped a bit too loudly than I had intended. "Even you don't trust me?"

_Child, I do not think you understand the severity of this skill. I have been trapped in this hair pin long enough to witness the aftermath of this power, if someone as careless as you hold its knowledge I fear it'll lead to unforgettable consequences. _

"I'll need to know eventually," I pointed out matter-of-factly. "And I've gotten a lot less careless. I think I'm ready for this skill."

_While I will acknowledge your maturity, I fear it is not the time for you to learn it. _

"So when will I learn it?" I challenged, digging my nails into the ground. "When all the El Shards are found? When I'm stuck with only easy missions? When-"

_This is the exact reason why I cannot teach you such a skill yet. _Eun growled, I could feel my body shaking from its wrath. _You are impatient and refuse to acknowledge the danger this power brings._

I opened my mouth to protest but decided it wouldn't help my situation if I snapped back. I took a shaky breath in, held the cool evening air in my lungs for a moment longer, and exhaled. My mind buzzed with the many comebacks I could say to Eun, but I pushed those thoughts aside and focused on trying to convince Eun to help me.

"How can I prove to you I am ready?" I asked, prying my nails out of the soil. "What can I do to make you trust me enough with the power?"

Eun was silent. At first I thought I had pissed Eun off so much that it refused to speak with me any further. Just as I was ready to get up and return to my tent Eun answered.

_When you first made a contract with me did you notice your new attacks?_

I felt my jaw dropping at the unusual question, but I didn't complain. Instead I forced myself to think back to the first day I made a contract with Eun and the days when I didn't know of its presence.

"Y-yeah," I closed my eyes as recent and old memories flashed through my head. "Back then I only used the skills my parents taught me, but once I made a contract with you I-I suddenly knew about all these other skills."

_Before you were born I was sometimes used in combat by your family members as backup, in case something went wrong in battle. They were cautious with me and kept a spell on me to keep me from taking over at random. During that time I picked up on your family's fighting techniques, specifically your grandmother's. She took me out more than any Haan member had, thus I quickly picked up on her fighting techniques. We worked as a team, though without a contract, and punished evil doers. _

"So you really are good," I found myself blurting. "U-umm not that I ever doubted you." I added quickly with reddened cheeks.

_I do not take offence, Ara. _Eun laughed-I found myself smiling upon hearing Eun laugh for the first time.

"So you passed down that knowledge to me?" I asked.

_Correct. When we joined together I infused my knowledge of grandmother's fighting technique into you-your shared blood would allow you to awaken such a power. _

"My grandmother must be amazing." I found myself blurting, I wrapped my arms around my legs and sighed. "Mother used to tell me how proud she was to be her daughter, and how lucky I was to be her relative."

_She was a wise and strong woman indeed, fighting off evil regardless of who they were in the past. She was given the title honourable title of Sakra Devanam, a name of the legendary god that ruled the heavens. People often called her the divine judge of the Earth, punishing those who had evil in their hearts. _

Now that's something you don't hear everyday. Learning that your own grandmother was some divine judge was not something I was expecting to hear today.

"As great as all of this sounds." I began reluctantly. "What does it have to do with the ultimate skill?"

_I bring this up because as of now you have not been using your new powers correctly. _

"Correctly?" I furrowed my brows. "What do you mean?"

_While you are successful at executing each attack you are not using them the way they are attended to be used. What I passed down to you is known as the Secret Tiger Art, a signature attack combination made by your family. Each new attack is a small piece from this technique, but its true power comes from four specific skills. When combined you will successfully execute a now lost technique. _

"So if I master this technique you'll teach me how to use the ultimate skill?"

_Yes, but I will not tell you which four skills you must link together. _

So all I need is to find the perfect four attack, that shouldn't be too hard.

_Once you have taken your time to master this technique I will show you the final skill you have yet to learn, a skill used to execute the worst demons. That is a promise._

"Thanks, Eun!" I cheered, I felt all the fatigue left by today instantly draining from my body. "I won't fail you, I promise I won't."

I could easily try out different combinations tomorrow, the chances of me stumbling across the perfect four skills should be quite high, right?

_B-but beware, my Child. _Eun added, its usually calm voice now shaking with almost every word. _W-while the secret skill holds unimaginable power it comes with a s-sacrifice. I-it is this very skill that c-cut your famous grandmother's life short. _


	64. 64

The following day Elsword announced that Lento had approved of our plan. Everyone ate their breakfast in a haste so they could spend as much time packing for the day's long trip. While the rest of my friends were busy thinking of all the possible medicine and potions to bring, in case something went wrong, I focused on trying to figure out the perfect combination. It would be great if I could figure out during the mission then I could learn the ultimate skill sooner.

Just before leaving we met up with the new Red Knight party, Elsword and Speka introduced them to the teams and their leader introduced us to them. After all the greetings were finally finished we headed out to the temple, this time with more confidence and excitement.

The team tensed as we step foot into the stone corridor, the bodies that were left here yesterday was now absent, but the demons were still lurking in the blanket of darkness.

"They're here," I told them quietly.

Speka nodded and silently motioned Elsword to step forward. Elsword smirked and walked down the dark corridor with the Fire Shard held behind his back, his footsteps crunched loudly against the thing layer of gravel underneath. Yang let out a low growl as the demons began emerging from their hiding spots. While they were hidden to the others, Yang and I could easily pick them out from the shadows.

Without a moment of hesitation Elsword pointed the Fire Shard ahead, a blazing aura pulsated through the dark corridor before a spiral of amber flames burst from him hand. Yang instinctively backed away as the heat raged on, the hungry flames instantly incinerating anything that blocks its way. Through the amber light we watched as our enemies ducked for cover while others cried out at the fire slowly eating away at them.

I felt my stomach twisting as images of the old burning Ponggo village flashed through my head. While that event had already come and gone I couldn't stop myself from recalling the many lives that were destroyed there, the blistering heat the plagued the village-the way Agatha risked her life to protect her brother.

I snapped out of my daze as Yang suddenly charged forward with the rest of the team. I took a quick scan of our surroundings and noted the many burning bodies around us, the corridor now reeked of burning flesh but it was also lit up by the many open flames.

"I'll supervise the team down here!" Speka's voice sounded from behind. "Good luck upstairs and remember to retreat if the fight gets too overwhelming!"

We bid good bye to Speka and continued to charge at the stairway. Elsword slowed down his pace once we had reached a set of stairs, one of which was leading down while the other led up.

"Thank goodness we're not exploring the basement," Elsword laughed while examining the steps stretching upwards. "I bet there's ghosts down there."

"G-ghosts?" Aisha gasped-even I felt shivers run down my spine at the mention of ghosts.

"I'm kidding," he laughed, gesturing us to continue upwards.

One by one we squeezed up the stairs with our eyes peeled for any signs of ambush. I could barely sit still on Yang's back the further we trudged up the steps.

"There's no such thing as ghosts." He glanced back with a toothy grin.

"Dude, a ghost will come haunt us if you keep saying things like that." Raven piped in, causing Aisha to yelp.

"I think that would explain the strange shadow I saw in the bathroom the other day," Chung added with a light chuckle.

"And it would explain why I hear strange noises late at night." I said, trying to hold myself back from laughing.

"Perhaps we should investigate when we return home," Eve suggested.

"H-how about w-we don't?" Aisha stammered.

"Okay guys that's enough," Elsword laughed with his back turned on us. "We're making a fool out of ourselves in front of our allies and-"

I nearly fell back as Elsword let out an ear piercing scream, behind us I could hear the ally knights unsheathing their swords. Before we could ask what was wrong Elsword took out his sword and swung at whatever was in front of him, the thing howled in pain from the hit just before sizzling into a purple gas.

"W-what was that?" I perked my head up to get a better look at the enemy, but nothing came into sight.

Elsword looked back with all colour drained from his face," i-it was a ghost."

"S-stop scaring me!" Aisha snapped from behind. "It's not funny anymore."

"I-I wish I was joking," he wiped the beads of sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand. "That...thing was a ghost."

"Maybe it was just a really...gassy demon?" I suggested with a tight smile.

"I hope so," he sheathed his sword before pressing forward, this time at a much slower pace.

It took forever for us to finally reach the second floor. Elsword quickly motioned everyone up to the circular stone room, at the very end was another set of stairs leading up. Unlike the corridor this room was lit by the many stone windows carved onto the walls, though it didn't provide us with large amounts of light it was better than the pitch black corridor. The room was also littered with floating blue orbs, smaller purple orbs circled around them, they swam through the air idly-making the space feel more magical than it should.

"There's no one here?" Aisha whispered.

Unlike the corridor below this room had no place to hide, thus the demons would be forced out in the open; however, it didn't seem like any demons were around to greet us. Whether that was a good or bad thing was beyond me.

"It's not so bad up here," Chung said, wandering further into the room. "You could probably make this place into a living room."

"Or a bedroom," Eve added. She followed Chung down the room with Raven walking firmly beside her. "The glowing orbs look pretty, I wonder if it is a decoration of some sort."

"So the demons actually know how to make the place look nice," Elsword laughed. "No offence to the Nasods, but these demons can decorate ten times better than they ever can." He added, referring back to the Nasod Factory.

_Something doesn't feel right. _Eun whispered.

'I know what you mean, Eun. Why would they leave this place so empty?' I followed the others further into the room, the glowing orbs drifting around me.

_This environment is bare, so I can see why no demons would be here trying to ambush us; however, the enemy Elsword encountered was not a demon. _

"I-it was a ghost." I felt my heart dropping as an idea began stirring in my head. "T-this is a terrible place for a demon to hide but a perfect place for a ghost to ambush us."

_Exactly._

"These glowing things are actually pretty cool," Chung approached on the the glowing orbs. "I wonder if we could take these home, they'd make our house look so cool."

I sprung off of Yang's back the moment he reached out to touch it. Before his hand could make contact with it I swung my spear down on the orb, splitting the orb into two. The orb screeched at the attack before breaking into tiny purple and blue particles of light.

"W-wow," at the corner of my eyes I could see Chung's jaw dropping. "So these things aren't just decorations?"

With a blink of an eye the once harmless glowing orbs began charging at us, everyone hastily took out their weapons and began swinging at them. They were not hard to defeat but their speed made it difficult to target. The room broke into a chaos as the orbs charged aimlessly at us. Weapons were being swung, people were being pushed, and magical attacks were launched left and right.

I was drenched in sweat by the time the last orb was defeated-everyone was trying to catch their breaths.

"You alright?" Chung whispered to me in between breaths.

"I'm good," I answered, resting my weight on my spear. "Thank goodness you didn't touch one of those things. Who knows what might have happened?"

"I'd probably get possessed or something," he pulled me in for a quick one-armed hug. "Thanks for the save."

"Anytime," I smiled.

Just as I was ready to relax something in the air shifted, it was like walking home at night and having a _feeling_ that someone was following you in the shadows behind, watching and waiting for the perfect time to strike.

I looked around the room and saw many of the mages scanning the room with frantic eyes. Aisha walked over to Elsword and whispered something in his ear, in an instant Elsword's shoulders tensed up.

"The fight isn't over yet," he told the rest of the tired team. "Keep your guards up, there's still something left in here."

I held my weapon close and began backing up to the rest of the team, a drop of sweat trickled down the side of my face. Yang growled and took a daring step forward, its emerald green eyes focused on the stairs ahead.

"I knew I couldn't hide from the monster for long." A deep voice sounded from ahead.

I instinctively pointed the blade of my spear at the empty spot.

"I'll commend you all for discovering my trick, it's a shame you guys took out the Lantern Flies so quickly." The voice went on.

The shadows wrapping around the room began bleeding into a single spot at the base of the stairs. The hairs on the back of my neck rose at the bone chilling aura filling the room, I could even feel Eun itching to jump out and attack whatever was forming from the darkness.

I felt my heart hammering in my chest as a dark figure rose out of the darkened spot, the shadows underneath it dispersing out like a ripple. The...thing that popped out looked neither like a man nor demon.

It was a floating torso-quiet literally. It's legs, arms, and head were missing with two purple robotic arms hovered beside it. The thing wore what appeared to be the top half of a purple long coat with a silver chain hanging from an unseen neck.

What stood out to me the most was the glowing purple light at the centre of the thing's chest, if I had to guess that was its weak point.

"I hope you don't treat the dead as you did with the Flies," the thing clapped its metallic hands together, in an instant five glowing purple balls of gas, each with a distorted human expression, formed from thin air behind him.

"A necromancer," someone from behind hissed.

"Ah, very good." The necromancer slowly clapped its hands together. "You get a golden star for paying attention in class, young knight."

"S-so you weren't lying, Els'." Aisha whispered. "T-there really was a g-g-ghost."

"I-I hope the others were joking about the ghosts a-at home." He replied.

I hoped so too.

"I do not care for the paranormal," Eve stepped forward with her two drones hovering close to her. "You are simply an obstacle we must defeat to advance our progress."

The torso laughed," I admire your bravery, young soul, but I wonder how can you fair against the servants from the dead."

Eve tightened her hands into fists as the five purple gas balls charged toward her. Raven instantly leaped forward and took down the ghosts with one swift swipe, the enemies dissolved into harmless purple gas upon being cut apart.

"Are you okay?" He asked, positioning himself protectively in front of Eve.

"I-I am fine." She relaxed her closed fists.

"Such a brave young man," the necromancer commented-he sounded genuinely impressed. "You remind me of an old friend, he would risk his entire being to protect his mistress. The boy's dedication is admiring, to say the least."

"Aisha," I heard Elsword whispering. "Now?"

"Just wait a bit..." she answered equally as quiet.

"Then I'm sure you're familiar of the fate you'll receive if you dare to attack her again," Raven replied, pointing his sword toward the enemy.

"Ooh, you've got me shaking in my shoes." The enemy answered sarcastically. "You're quite a feisty one, aren't ya'?"

"Now," Aisha whispered.

Elsword and Aisha sprung forward abruptly with their weapons firmly in hand, their sudden attack made the necromancer jump back against the stone wall, leaving him vulnerable to the attacks. Just as the couple was about to strike into its glowing chest two dark figures leaped up from the opened windows behind and countered.

A man with dark blue hair stopped Elsword's attack with what appeared to be a giant blue gun. A short little girl with wavy white hair stopped Aisha by grabbing onto her staff with massive blue claw. Aisha and Elsword cursed before breaking their weapons free and jumping back.

The man and girl smirked at their retreat and lowered their weapons. I felt my legs weakening at the familiarity of their voices.

"Ah, Ciel, I was just talking about you." The necromancer placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "See that lad over there-"he pointed at Raven"-he's protecting a mistress just like you."

The man named Ciel narrowed his blue eyes at him, "how...lovely." He answered coldly.

Raven tightened his grasp on his sword but didn't say anything back.

"Amethyst, you can't just put yourself out in the open like that." The white-haired girl scolded, swinging cyan tail swinging back and forth. "You worried us sick."

"Sorry, Lu." The Amethyst answered, patting her head. "I just couldn't help myself, these young knights are very strong. I just had to witness their power in person."

Lu frowned," I guess they are strong, considering they got past the Lantern trap without a problem." Lu's eyes trailed along my allies. I felt my blood going cold the moment the small child locked eyes with me. "They also have some _very _interesting members."

"Lu, we need to go." Ciel told the girl.

Lu kept her eyes on me for a second longer before prying her attention back to the man," I sure hope we get to see them again, Ciel. There's a lot of things I would like to know about..._them._"

"Stop running away and fight us," Elsword pointed at the enemies with his single sword.

"Patience, lad." Something in Amethyst's voice shifted. "But if you're really looking for some fun let me introduce you to an old friend of mine, I promise he'll show you a great time."

The Amethyst held out both metallic hands and began chanting in an unknown language, both his open palms began emitting a purple light. Lu and Ciel stood protectively in front of him as a glowing purple circled formed at the centre of the room. I found my legs mindlessly taking a step away from the growing purple circle.

"Meet my old pal, the headless knight." The necromancer raised his hands in the air, causing a giant black figure to rise up from the circle-its headless body nearly hitting the roof. "Have fun, kids."

With a snap of a finger the circle underneath the knight disappeared and black particles began peeling away from the summoned enemy, revealing a gleaming coat of armour underneath. The Knight swung its sword to the side, breaking away the last bit of particles clinging onto its body-a purple flamed burned where its head should've been. A group of purple ghosts emerged behind it readying to help the knight fight.

Elsword cursed at the new enemy and ordered everyone to prepare for battle-Lu and Ciel could be seen hurrying up the stairs with the Amethyst following behind them.

"I want the mages focusing on the ghosts and everyone else on the knight," he ordered-he swiftly jumped back as the knight swung down at him with its massive sword.

I hopped back on Yang's back and ordered it to charge at the knight. Elsword, Raven, and Eve began fighting off the headless knight but their attacks were rendered useless against the massive metal shield. I glanced behind and quietly gestured the knights to follow me. With breaths held, we thread around the knight as quietly as we could, once we got a clear shot of its back we attacked.

"Yang, blow fire at it," I ordered just before hopping off its back. The knight howled in pain the moment Yang's flames made contact with it.

Elsword and the others took that chance to attack, Eve and Raven attacked in unison while Elsword swiped his fire consumed blade across the knight's armour-the power of the El Shard's flames allowed the sword's blade to cut into the metal. The knight stumbled back which gave everyone behind the queue to attack.

I allowed Eun's power to activate before launching my attack," Flying Kite!" I flew forward and swiped the enemy at multiple points. Once I had finished the attack I quickly linked it with another move," Fire Lot-"

Before I could successfully launch the next attack the knight spun around and whipped me away with his arm. I flew back against the wall, nearly falling out one of the opened windows. I cursed under my breath as I fell face first onto the stone ground, a sharp pain pierced me in the chest.

"I-I guess that combination doesn't work." I coughed. I forced myself back up, clenching my teeth against the hammering pain in my rib cage.

Yang rushed to my side and welcomed me with a sloppy lick to the face.

"H-hey, buddy." I laughed-even that simple action hurt. "D-don't worry I'll be fine."

Yang lowered itself as if knowing I'd have trouble climbing back on again. I gritted my teeth against the pain and managed to help myself up on the saddle. I wiped my sweaty forehead with my sleeves and ordered Yang to charge at the enemy once more, the Phoru howled and launched forward.

Every heavy step Yang took added onto the already growing pain. Tears blurred my vision, thanks to the injury, but I didn't bother asking it to slow down for me-it didn't help that I had to swipe ghosts away along the way.

Elsword and the others quickly jumped to the sides as the knight charged forward with its shield held in front, the entire floor shook when the knight collided into the stone wall-the ceiling above us coughed out debris onto us. I felt my hands growing sweaty at the thought of the entire floor collapsing.

Yang came to a slow stop beside Chung and the other knights, everyone had their weapons up while the giant enemy pulled itself off the wall.

"You took quiet a heavy fall back there," he said in between breaths. "You doing alright?"

"I think I broke a rib," I told him truthfully. "B-but I'll be fine."

Chung didn't get an opportunity to respond before the Knight turned and swiped its sword at us. Everyone jumped back with a few unlucky knights were caught up in the blade, they were killed instantly on the spot.

I could feel my world come crashing down as Yang suddenly slumped down, ignoring the stabbing pain in the chest I climbed down from its back and examined my Phoru-I felt my stomach twisting at the red liquid staining its white fur.

"Y-Yang?" I scratched it shakily behind its ear, the world around me came back to life at its twitching ear.

"Is it alright?" Chung asked, now standing with his back facing us.

"I-I think Yang just got a leg injury." I answered, examining its curled up left leg. "C-can you walk, buddy?"

Yang tried helping itself back up again but the moment it put its weight on its front left leg it fell back down-a deep red gash could be seen on it.

"Y-yeah, Yang's just injured." I relaxed my tensed shoulders.

"It's dangerous to leave it here," Chung said while launching a blue missile at the enemy "Get it to the back or something, this knight will trample over it eventually."

I bobbed my head and urged Yang to get up, at first the Ancient Phoru refused to move from its spot but once the ground began to tremble it listened to my orders. We moved at slug pace which attracted a hoard of ghosts, I had no choice but to watch over Yang while fighting off the purple gas balls.

"Ara," I heard Aisha's voice calling. Looking ahead I saw Aisha pushing past the other mages-some of the mages stared at me with widened eyes, probably due to my unusual appearance. "W-what happened?" She asked, glancing down at Yang's injury.

"That knight managed to cut its leg," I told her through clenched teeth. "I-I can't have Yang near the knight, i-it'll die if I do."

"I can take care of it from here," Aisha said, taking the reins out of my hand. "Go take care of that knight for us. We're all counting on you guys."

I managed to smile and thanked her, Yang licked my hands just before I went charging back to the fight. Our enemy was now cornered by the stairs but that only made it ever more dangerous to approach it. The knight's armour was now ripped and dented from the numerous attacks-most of the damage was probably done by Elsword.

When I joined the rest of the knights back on the field all I could see was red, I wanted nothing more than to have the knight pay for what they did to Yang.

"We attack as one," Elsword ordered, his sword still engulfed with flames. "This thing is almost down."

Without another word we charged forward, I lingered behind with a few other knights to let the majority attack, once we had extra room the rest of us finished the job.

"Raging Wave!" I plowed my spear into the ground and pushed forward, the knight stumbled back and fell. I quickly took that chance to launch a following attack.

I spun my spear until a glowing lotus flower pattern formed in my spinning weapon," Fire Lotus!" I pointed my spear forward, launching the burning flower at the knight. The knight tensed as the attack made contact. I growled with my spear pointed forward, there was no other attacks I could think to link.

I jumped back with a few other knights as the enemy abruptly leaped up on its feet, crushing a few allies along the way. I quickly scanned the remaining knights for my friends-thankfully no one was squished underneath the headless enemy.

"How is that thing still up?" Chung slammed his cannon on the ground and aimed it at the knight. "Elsword, can you use more of the El Shard's power?"

"I would if you want to be barbecue," Elsword snapped. "As much as I like using the world's strongest flamethrower I can't risk burning this many people."

"We'll just have to keep fighting," I targeted my spear at the knight and awaited its next move.

"We can only fight for so long." Eve pointed out. "I suggest we keep retreat at the back of our mind."

Elsword cursed," I really don't wanna retreat because of this brainless loser."

The knight knelt down and placed its shield in front of its injured body. We tensed at the unusual gesture, it was like the knight was welcoming us to attack it. A few knights stepped forward but stopped to themselves before they could take a second step.

I felt a growl escape my mouth at the glowing purple particles gathering at the centre of the shield-the room trembled as the light on its shield grew brighter and brighter. The purple ghosts around the room began retreating out the windows, forcing the mages attention onto the headless knight.

"A-actually on second thought w-we need to retreat." Elsword stammered, our group slowly backed away from the ever growing light.

"I-it's impossible for us to all leave at once." I swallowed down the lump forming at the back of my throat.

"She has a point," Raven piped in. "We could jump out the windows while the others go for the stairs."

"Who's to say the entire floor won't collapse when the attack launches?" Chung challenged. "Everyone in the stairs and below us would die."

I slumped over and wrapped my arm around my rib cage, every quick breath I took began taking a tole on my injury. Chung must have taken notice as he rushed to my side and helped me navigate backwards with the others.

"W-we're gonna die here?" I asked him, with eyes glued on the enemy. The ball of light was as big as a beach ball, it would only be a matter of seconds before the attack would be launched.

"N-not unless we jump out the window like Raven suggested," he managed to let out a light chuckle.

"A-and break another rib?" I tried to laugh but that only intensified the pain.

The tremors grew worse, knocking down gravel and rocks down from the ceiling. Chung turned his back to the enemy and embraced me, as if trying to act as my human shield. Tears blurred my vision at the pulsating light ahead-some of the mages and knights behind screamed and began their way down the stairs, not that going the the lower level would save them anyway. Elsword leaped in front and pointed the El Shard at the orb of light, almost instantly a wall of fire rose between us and the enemy.

"E-Elsword is using the Shard's power a-as a barrier." I whispered to him. "W-we could survive."

"But in case it fails," I clenched my teeth as he tightened his grip around me. "I-I'm not letting you go down with us."

"Chung..." I squeezed my eyes shut and buried my face into his shoulder.

I could see my entire life flashing before my eyes just as a deafening explosion sounded. The shock wave blew everyone off their feet. Chung tumbled on top of me crushing my already broken rib further. My head spun and my heart was hammering, but while I was still in crippling pain only one thought stuck out to me.

I was still alive.

"C-Chung, we're okay." I told him-my vision blurred once again as he shifted on top of me.

"W-we're alive?" He quickly rolled off me and sat himself up-his blue eyes frantically scanning the room. "E-everyone's alive."

I fought against the pain in my chest and sat up. While everyone was knocked to the now dusty ground no one appeared to be dead, the fire wall between us and the knight was now gone but somehow we survived the hit.

"No one dies on my watch." A woman's voice sounded up ahead.

I averted my attention up ahead to see the knight now slumped over on its shield. Behind it stood a black cloaked woman on one of the windows, one hand was used to support herself on the frame while the other held a black bow. She reminded me of Scarlet with the whole black cloak covering her from head to toe.

With one swift move the knight picked up its sword and turned to slash the woman, but she jumped into the room before it got a chance to hurt her. The Knight's back was now embedded with four green arrows-I felt Chung tensing at the woman's appearance.

The woman aimed her bow at it and pulled on the string, three green arrows formed from her fingertips once the bow was ready to launch.

"Prepare to meet your maker." She released the three arrows-adding more onto the knight's back.

The knight twisted around and began swinging its sword at her. My hands grew clammy while watching the woman dodge the hits. Her movements were swift and elegant, every step she took seemed calculated. The Knight eventually got its giant sword lodged deep into a stone wall, the mysterious archer took this chance to attack.

The woman ran forward and began kicking the knight, revealing her black cargo pants and combat boots from under the cloak. While her kicks didn't do as much damage on the Knight as her arrows, the Knight still showed obvious signs of a struggle under the assault. Once she had her target pushed up against the wall she pointed her bow at the knight once again and pulled back on the string-this time the arrow had green rings surrounding it tip.

"Guided Arrow." She released the arrow which dispersed into multiples of itself through the rings.

The Knight managed to free its sword from the wall and swung at her once again, this time catching her off guard and landing a successful hit; however, the knight was still hit by the arrows. The woman was flown back until she collided with the opposing wall, she curled her hand around her stomach and groaned. The Knight fell to its knees once all the arrows had found their way somewhere into its body.

Elsword scrambled onto his feet, with a single sword in one hand and the El Shard in the other. He charged at the Knight and stabbed his sword into the chest of the knight. The blade of his sword caught on fire once it had inserted into the enemy, Elsword jumped away from his weapon and allowed the flames to engulf the knight.

The Knight's entire body tensed from under the angry flames. It tried to pull the sword out but something kept the blade lodged into its body. The entire floor shook as its giant metal fists collided into the ground, the impact forming large dents underneath. A suffocating silence filled the room once the enemy finally stopped struggling and fell onto its side, the sounds of fire cackling filled in the void.

I turned my attention back onto the mysterious archer. She was still curled on the floor with her arms wrapped around the injury-she too showed no signs of movement.

"I wonder if that's the Night Warrior," I thought to myself out loud.

"Night Warrior?" Chung quoted.

"I heard a rumour that they appeared whenever someone was in danger or..." I paused. "A-anyway, no one knows who they are or where they came from. They sort of just showed up one day."

"I-I see."

"Hey, you." Elsword began approaching the fallen woman. "You alright there?"

The woman silently bobbed her and began helping herself up," I'm...glad you're all...okay." She took a sharp breath in and fell limply back onto the ground.

While a part of me feared that the injury would take her life I couldn't help but wonder why there wasn't any fresh scent of blood. Being swiped across the stomach by some giant blade would bound to draw _some_ blood.

"D-don't force yourself to get up." Elsword hurried by her side and helped her sit up against the wall. "That attack must have left a nasty gash."

And yet there's no blood, I couldn't help but think.

"You are too...kind," with her head lowered, the woman placed her hand on his shoulder. "I forgot...about this kindness...but still I cannot...understand..."

Elsword tensed at the touch but didn't move away," uh, you sound kinda familiar." He laughed shakily. "Umm, c-can you tell us who you are?"

The woman chuckled dryly," how can such a youthful soul...forget so easily?" She rested her head against his other shoulder-I was surprised Aisha hadn't jumped in to pry the two apart. "It's funny how time...can change people...memories..."

"Umm, lady, you're really starting to f-freak me out." Elsword tried pushing her head back but failed to do so. Instead he pulled back on her black hood, revealing the her yellow-green hair tucked in by the cloak.

At that moment Elsword's eyes widened as he successfully pried the woman off him. The woman's lips tightened as she lifted her head up, her blank yellow-green eyes gazing into his. I glanced over at Chung who was also staring the the woman with widened glassy eyes.

"R-R-" Elsword's jaw tightened-tears streamed down his face.

"What's wrong?" She smiled blankly at him. "Can you not even remember my name? Or are you too afraid to remember it?"

"Rena!" I heard Chung shouting. He was now up on his knees with fists tightened beside him.

The woman Rena turned to face him, those dead green eyes lit to life upon meeting eyes with Chung. She softened her gaze on him," Chung, a-at least you remember me..." Her eyelids began to fall and her smile wavering. "...I knew...you'd remember..."

Then she collapsed, causing all my my friends to break into a blind panic.

**I know I told MANY of you that Rena would not be in this story, please don't hate me for lying. It would've ruined everything if I had spoiled her late appearance. No hard feelings? **


	65. 65

**Team Instinct, Mystic, and Valor eh? Personally I wanna be Team Rocket, then I can capture all the legendary birds and take over the world! MWAHAHAHA! Not even the great Omanyte can stop me now!**

"How do you feel now?" One of the doctors asked once I was done drowning down the bitter potion.

The individual medical tents Feita Knights had set up was two times bigger than the one I slept in. Inside was a mat spread on the grass allowing patients to rest, a medical bag pushed to the side, along with extra mats in case the one in use got dirty.

"Better," I stretched without feeling the piercing pain in my chest. "Thank you."

"The additional effects of the potion will kick in later tonight so don't feel alarmed when you're hit with a sudden wave of fatigue." The doctor explained, placing the empty bottle to the side. "Your chest might hurt a bit later on but its all part of the healing process."

I nodded my head before making my way out of the tent. Once I was out another knight was rushed in by his comrades, his bloodied arm draped over his crimson stained stomach. I pried my attention away from the groaning man and began my way to Allegro's tent-where all my friends were.

When the mysterious Rena collapsed Elsword instantly called for everyone to return to base. I wanted to ask who the woman was but everyone seemed too worked up to answer, instead I followed them out in silence. Some of the team stayed behind to keep the captured floor secured while others followed us to protect the injured on their way back.

The instant we came back the knights at the base began setting up medical tents. I was immediately ushered in line for treatment. But just before going into the assigned medical tent, Aisha came and informed me they would be at Allegro's tent, that was where the most sever injuries were being treated-it was where they had put the mysterious Rena.

I took a short detour back to my tent and found Yang fast asleep with a bandage on its left foreleg-it was treated before me and Chung kindly volunteered to walk it back to my tent. Not wanting to wake it up from its slumber I tiptoed away.

When I arrived to Allegro's tent I noticed my entire team was seated by the sides of the tent entrance, along with a few other knights-some of the knights were chewing on their nails while others cried over a fallen friend, my team was seemed frozen on the ground. I bowed my head and approached them, they took a quick notice of me and made room for me to sit.

"How are you feeling?" Aisha asked softly.

"I'm good," I answered while taking a seat between Chung and Raven. "How about you guys?"

"We only came out with minor injuries," Raven replied flatly. "Well...everyone but Rena."

"O-oh," I began playing with my fingers. "Umm, so who is this Rena person?"

"Yeah," Amos, who was sitting on Eve's lap, piped in. "You guys seemed so scared when she came here. Is she a friend?"

Aisha burst out in tears. Elsword wrapped an arm around her and allowed her to rest on his shoulder.

"She..." Eve hesitated. "She wa-is a part of the team."

"Why hasn't she showed up till now?" Amos pressed on-I envied his ignorance to the heavy air weighing on our shoulders.

"She's...supposed to be dead." Chung answered bluntly. Amos immediately went silent at his response. "W-we all saw her get buried."

Everyone snapped their heads to the tent entrance at one of the doctors walking out. They immediately pried their attention away once the doctor called out a foreign name, their darkened eyes stirring with disappointment.

"M-maybe this is a different Rena." I suggested softly-no one responded.

That was a stupid question. I mused, squeezing my clammy hands together. I really shouldn't have said that.

I bowed my head and silently prayed for the ground to swallow me up whole.

"Or maybe i-it was an imposture that died, and the real Rena was always alive." Chung mumbled to himself. "Maybe I can do something to fix this." He added softly.

I glanced up and saw his face now buried in his hands. A part of me wanted to do something that would make him feel better, but nothing came to mind. It was so unusual and gut wrenching to see him in such a vulnerable state.

"W-we all saw Rena right before she died, man." Raven ran his hand through his dark hair. "That had to be her, t-there's no way an imposture would know so much a-about us."

"Then why is she her with us now?" Chung snapped is head up and narrowed his eyes on Raven "T-the way she fought is the same a-and she even remembered-"

"Guys, enough." Elsword piped in sternly-there was a brief moment of silence, Raven and Chung kept narrowed eyes on each other. "What matters now is that she's here with us." Elsword added slowly.

Raven and Chung dropped their gazes on the ground without adding an extra word.

"S-sorry I asked," Amos whispered.

"It's okay, sport," Raven ruffled the young Ponggo's head. "The truth had to come out to both you and Ara at some point."

"W-we did not think it would come to light like this," Eve sniffled.

"Don't cry, Eve." Amos wrapped his small arms around her. "Let me help cheer you up."

That only made her cry harder. She enveloped Amos in a tight hug and squeezed her eyes shut with streams of tears cascading down her cheeks.

Rena sure sounds important to them. I thought with eyes glued on the swaying slender grass. I never would've guessed they went thought such a tragedy.

_Though that would explain a few things. _Eun piped in. _They all seemed so paranoid about going out at night, if I was to guess her death must have occurred at that time. It would also explain why your team mates would sometimes interrupt each other when they were in a middle of explaining a past event._

'What do you mean, Eun?'

_Can you recall back at Bethma; when your friends were discussing about eating...cotton?_

'I remember them saying the winner got to brag about their victory and they wouldn't have to pay for anything.'

_Yes, but what stuck out to me that most in that conversation was when Elsword was about to explain who's dress he puked on Eve quickly cut him off. Why would she feel the need to interrupt him? Why not let him explain himself?_

'You actually have a pretty good point there.'

_There is more I could point out but there is just not enough time for that._

Everyone, even the neighbouring knights, averted their attention to the tent entrance as Allegro made his way out. He gestured to the other knights to wait before turning his attention to us. We shifted our bodies so we could all face the Alchemist.

"How is she?" Chung was the first one to ask.

Allegro pushed his glasses up and began." umm...how should I say this?" He scratched the back of his head.

"I-is she dead?" Raven asked tightly.

"N-no?" Allegro's answer made everyone arch their brows.

"Why do you sound so unsure?" I challenged. Was it really that hard to see if someone was breathing or not?

"L-look I don't even know what to say." Allegro answered hastily. "W-with her condition she shouldn't even be alive-i-it's physically impossible for her to reach the age that she is."

"W-well she is an elf," Eve pointed out. "I doubt her body functions like that of a human's."

"T-that's not the problem," Allegro pointed to the tent. "Elves and humans both have organs, b-but she has nothing."

I felt my jaw dropping at the news. Allegro dropped his arm to his side shifted on his left foot-silence fell between each member of the team.

"So...she has no heart, no stomach-nothing?" Elsword asked in a soft whisper. "T-that's impossible, d-did you try digging around? There has t-to be something in there."

Allegro bowed his head," I-I couldn't find signs of blood, there was no muscles, no heartbeat-she is quite literally an empty shell, but she's still breathing."

"Do you think this has to do with that necromancer?" Chung's question caused a bone-chilling shiver to run down my spine.

"Maybe," Raven mumbled. "But why isn't she under control like the other spirits?"

The tent flap parted once more, this time a familiar elf limped out with a bow in one hand and a nurse trying to back on the other.

"Please, ma'am, you need to rest." The nurse pleaded, pulling on her arm.

"Y-your medicine won't help me." She tried pulling her arm away but failed to break free from the iron grip.

Allegro turned and silently gestured for the nurse to let her go, they hesitated for a moment before freeing Rena.

"M-may I ask why our medicine won't help you?" Allegro questioned her once the nurse had retreated back inside.

"M-my body isn't t-the same anymore." Rena answered weakly.

She tried taking another step forward but her trembling legs caved in, she managed to steady herself on a single knee and squeezed her eyes shut-loose strands of green hair fell over her face.

"Rena," Chung shot up from the ground and rushed to her side.

Something stirred at the back of my mind while watching her collapse into his arms, I balled my hands into fists.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked.

"The graveyard," she tried getting up but crumbled back into him. "T-the lake can help me there."

"Lake?" Eve quoted.

"I-I remember seeing that on patrol," I piped in quietly-everyone turned their heads to me, even Rena. My cheeks flushed at the attention and I averted my eyes away from them. "I-it looks really contaminated, the water hardly looks good."

"What do you mean by _that_?" Elsword asked.

I opened my mouth to reply but never got a chance to as I felt my control over my own body slip away. Eun forced us on our backs, my heart beat quickened upon seeing the green arrow flying over our head-missing our face by mere inches. Eun growled and jumped up to our feet-it narrowed our eyes at the archer that just attempted to kill us.

"What do you think you're doing?" Chung grabbed onto Rena's bow and attempted to pull it away, but she refused to let the weapon out of her hand.

"S-she is a demon," Rena narrowed her eyes and pulled back on the string-this time Chung was desperate to yank the bow away. "I remember seeing her in the tower, s-she did not look human."

"Rena, that's not our enemy." Eve dropped Amos down and hurried to her feet. "Ara is our friend." She stood in front of the archer which caused Raven to jump in front of her.

"R-Rena, please don't shoot." He said with a shaky hand ready on his sheathed sword. "I-I don't want to hurt you."

Rena cursed under her breath," what's wrong with everyone? Why are you keeping a demon alive?"

"A-Ara and Eun are good," Aisha lifted her head off of Elsword and also hurried to her feet. "T-they're one of us."

"Has everyone gone mad?" Rena snapped. "They are the enemies and we need to kill them."

"A-Ara, is good," Amos got to his feet and approached the hysteric elf. "She and Raven saved me when-"

"Amos, don't get any closer!" Raven ordered before he could take another step-Amos froze at the abrupt outburst.

"But, Raven." He frowned. "I wanna help too."

"Look, kid, I don't wanna see you hurt." He explained with eyes glued on Rena. "I-if she's reacting so badly to Ara's appearance I don't know if she'll do that same with you."

"But-"

"Amos, listen to Raven." Eve piped in. "We're only doing this because we care about you."

Amos opened his mouth to protest but snapped it shut as Eve turned and narrowed her eyes on him. Pouting he stomped back and sat himself down a few feet behind Eve.

"Rena, let's just get you to the spooky lake." Elsword suggested with a tight smile. "W-we can discuss more later."

"_We _can go, but not the enemies." She made sure the empathize the word 'we'.

"No," Elsword replied almost instantly. "Everyone on the team is going and no one is being left behind because of their powers or background. I-if you can't agree to that then I guess we won't be going with you"

* * *

The walk to the graveyard was unpleasant, to say the least. Rena thankfully didn't lash out on me along the way, if she had I was positive Eun would not hesitate to fight her, but she didn't hesitate to show her disliking to me. Staying by Chung was nearly impossible as he volunteered to carry Rena to the lake, every time I attempted to get near them she would send me the stink eye. After the third attempt to be near them I decided to retreat to the back where she could not see me.

I wanted more than anything to get on Rena's good side but it seemed like every little thing I did offended her. A part of me wished we hadn't bumped into her while another part scolded me for coming up with such a cruel thought-she was an old friend of the team and who was I to say she was a bad person?

Amos had his eyes squeezed shut and face buried in Raven's shoulderwhen we first step foot into the graveyard . Everyone clumped closer together the further in we thread through the purple fog. I wanted to help the team through the confusing landscape but Rena beat me to it. She guided everyone through the blanket of fog as if the place was her own home.

"And here we are," Rena said, pointing to the mass of purple water ahead of us.

"Eww," Aisha blurted almost instantly. "That lake looks toxic."

"To the living it is poisonous," Rena answered. "To the dead it is like a hospital, it'll heal whatever wounds we received in battle."

"So..." Chung added lowly. "You really are dead."

"We can work out the complications later," she told him calmly. "Set me down and step back."

"I-I can help you down if it's too painful," Chung offered while gently placing her legs back on the ground.

"I appreciate the offer," she said, limping away from Chung's grasp. "But I can't risk you accidentally touching the water...it would be a tragedy if you were to die."

I bet she would be jumping for joy if I fell in the lake, I thought with clenched teeth-I dug my nails into my palms. She would probably drag me down if I was standing close enough to her.

I mutely stepped back with everyone and watched as she took off her black cloak, revealing a black sleeveless crop top, before stepping into the water. Ripples erupted from her entrance, disfiguring the stillness of the purple lake.

Once she was submerged in the lake, she turned to face us, those forest green eyes empty of human emotions," we can talk while I recover here." She said flatly.

"A-are you sure?" Aisha asked. "Don't you want to rest up in there? Maybe catch some shut eye?"

"I don't need sleep," Rena answered bluntly. "Nor do I need food, water, or even air. I could stay submerged under the lake for hours if I wanted to."

"O-oh," Aisha folded her arms behind her. "T-that's...nice."

"Rena, how are you here if you're supposed to be dead?" Eve piped in softly. "Do you remember the moment you awakened into this world again?"

Rena shook her head," one minute I was somewhere...bright, and the next I woke up in this very lake." She closed her eyes. "I-I remember finding a new set of clothes and a bow by the lake side, but when I called out there was no one around."

"D-did you know you were already dead?" Chung asked.

Rena turned her back to us," not at the time, even now my memories are a blur. However, I remembered being with you guys and assumed we were on a mission. I once I was dressed began searching and that's when I bumped into the demons known as Lu and Ciel."

"Lu and Ciel?" Raven quoted. "You mean the little girl and the man with the giant gun?" Rena bobbed her head in response.

"They said a soul like me should be in the afterlife, but that alone couldn't wake me up to the truth." She sniffled. "We fought and I barely escaped from them. I-it was so painful, every hit felt like I was being whipped with a burning whip." I saw Chung and Raven's shoulders tensing at the story.

"I managed to get myself back here and decided to clean myself off...the red flags in my head didn't pop up until I realized I wasn't bleeding. When I stepped into the lake to wash off the memories began coming back to me..." She sighed. "Something must have snapped when I realized I was dead because once I was done recovering I went on a blind rampage. I killed so many demons...but none of the kills could satisfy this suppression on my chest."

"But you also saved many of the Feita knights." Chung pointed out, as if that fact alone could cheer her up.

"I know," she turned to look at him; although tears streamed down her cheeks, her eyes held no sadness. "I only did it because I felt the urge to stop them from sacrificing their lives for some powerful attack-other times I just wanted to help them kill a demon I've been wanting to take down myself. While there is no emotion fuelling my actions I can't help but...feel it is the right thing to do."

No one said a word afterwards, even if they were old friends with her it didn't seem like they knew how to respond. It me wonder if she was like this while she was alive.

The uncomfortable silence was shattered by the sound of my growling stomach, I bowed my head almost instantly," s-sorry." I stammered with heated cheeks-my friends chuckled in response.

Rena snorted," how rude."

"It's not like I wanted it to growl," I muttered with eyes still glued on the ground.

"All you care about is eating and sleeping," Rena added coldly-I tightened my jaw at her remark. "But don't take offence, it's normal for animals like you to only care about yourself."

I snapped my head and and narrowed my eyes at Rena who also returned the gesture," well I'm sorry, Rena." I seethed with clenched fists. "Just because you don't eat anymore doesn't mean the rest of us can't either. How about you keep that in mind before opening that big mouth of yours?"

"At least _my_ friends don't hunt other people as-"

"Okay, girls, calm down there." Elsword quickly intervened. "W-we can get some food after Rena is finished recovering. I-I'm feeling a bit hungry myself."

"Yeah, me too." Aisha piped in. "W-we can have a nice friendly conversation after dinner is finished, e-everyone is a bit angry when they have an empty stomach. Err, I guess you don't feel that anymore, Rena, b-but still..."

Rena cursed under her breath before turning her back on us again," you're lucky _my _friends are here to protect you. If you were alone with me, you would be dead."

I folded my arms and pried my eyes away from her," then that would make the two of us." I grumbled.

* * *

Speka joined us for dinner but not even her presence was able to lift the mood-Rena seemed more upset that she was a Dark Mage than the fact that I had Eun by my side. Dinner was filled with silence, no one said a single word while Rena sat and watched us eat. Raven offered her some veggies at some point to which she turned down immediately-no one tried giving her food after that.

Normally I'd sit by Chung but tonight he chose to sit by Rena, there was no way I'd get anywhere near her again. I ended up being squished between Speka and Eve with eyes glued onto my own food for half the time.

"So..." Aisha broke the silence once everyone was finished eating. "Rena, it's nice to see you again."

"I am...happy to be back." Her eyes trailed down to Aisha and Elsword's held hands. "How strange...you're allowing him to hold your hand."

Aisha's cheeks lit up with a shade of pink," o-of course I'd let him, he's my boyfriend now."

"Gross," Speka added jokingly.

"Aisha here also has a bigger interest in dresses," Elsword winked. "She just wants to impress me."

"Shut up, Els, it's not like that." She stomped on his foot-instead of retreating in pain Elswod responded with a light-hearted laugh. "I-I just took your advice into consideration and decided to buy more dresses. You were right, Rena, I really do look nice in them."

"I see." She smiled tightly. "I used to constantly urge you to go shopping with me, of course I'd ask Eve as well, and unlike you she'd always come without a struggle."

"I just thought you had a good taste in clothes," Eve piped in with a warm smile. "I still have all the dresses you bought for me."

Rena's eyes widened," I believe this is the first time I've seen you smile. How...unusual."

"Eve is showing more emotion now," Raven explained with Amos fast asleep on his lap. "It was odd at first but it's nice seeing her happy now."

"Raven, I'm sorry if I still remind you of your fiancee." Raven shifted his eyes down at her comment. "It must be difficult for you to process my return."

"N-no, I learned to move on." He gently ruffled Amos' head-the Ponggo stirred in his sleep but didn't wake up. "Besides, I have this little guy to focus on. I've been much happier with him around."

"Me too," Eve averted her attention on Amos. "He's the best thing that happened to me."

I tuned out from the conversation and focused my attention on the dying amber flames in the middle. Everyone had their own memory to share with Rena, their own story they wanted her to remember, while I was left out. I didn't know her and it didn't seem like she wanted anything to do with me, there was nothing I could do to change that fact.

For the first time since joining the team I felt like an outcast-an alien to my own group of close friends. Even when I first joined they welcomed me with opened arms and never made me feel like an outsider-everyone but Chung but even he showed some signs of caring for me.

An unknown amount of time passed before Rena wanted to leave and do some thinking, Chung left along with her. Silence filled the group once again after the two had took off with one another.

"She wasn't always like that, Ara." Elsword said, snapping me out of my daze.

I perked my head up to meet the tightened expressions of my friends.

"She was very nice," he smiled at the distant memory. "She loved nature and everything in it. Even when we went out to fight demons she would try and see if they were...good. She hated killing and made sure she did everything she could to avoid it. But having dinner with her was awful. As long as she was at the table no meat was allowed to be served."

"We used to sneak out at night to catch some animals to eat." Aisha giggled. "It was mean but we really missed having our daily dosage of meat."

Although I had no connection to that memory I couldn't help but smile, my heart warmed at the person I could never know.

"Raven, she reminded you of your fiancee?" I asked.

He sighed," y-yeah, she looks almost exactly like her." He closed his eyes and sniffled. "Rena was as kind as her, as loving as her-she even had the bad habit of sleeping in like her. It was nearly impossible for me to look at her at first."

"Raven was very awkward around her," Eve playfully nudged his arm. "He'd used to help her plant flowers at the back and even climbed a tree to help her pick some apples."

"W-well she said she didn't want to get her dress dirty." Raven responded with flushed cheeks. "I just wanted to help."

"She does sound like a cool girl. Too bad she sounds as emotional as a brick wall now." Speka pointed out.

The fire cackled, spitting out sprinkles of red sparks into the air. My eyes followed the tiny sparks of light, watching as their light slowly surrendered to the thick blanket of the night.

"W-what happened to her?" I felt clasped my sweaty hands together. "How did it happen?"

Elsword ran a hand through his hair," I don't even know where to begin."

"We should start by being honest with you, Ara." Aisha said, locking eyes with me. "We knew about the El Shards before you came along, the only difference was we were ignorant to the subject."

"Ignorant?" I quoted.

"At the time Rena heard from an elf elder that she was to be gifted with the heart of the forest, a gem so powerful it could destroy cities with nature herself." Eve explained. "Her mission was to figure out what its origins were and asked us to help. The gem helped us a bunch during our missions and Rena often returned to the forest at night to tell an old friend about our many adventures."

"We eventually found a story about the El Shard of Nature and told Echo about it as it matched the description of the gem Rena possessed." Raven added. "Echo went into deep research on the El Shards but often came out short on information. But we knew enough to know these were very dangerous and powerful items. After learning a little about the El Shards Rena wanted nothing more than to get the other Shards."

I recalled them mentioning something about failing to protect an El Shard the first time we talked about this subject.

"Rena was so excited after learning we'd help her seek the other Shards out." Elsword paused for a second. "S-she just wanted to make sure they wouldn't get into the wrong hands. O-one night she went back to the forest to tell all her friends about the mission...t-then we were awoken by an explosion. Before we knew it the entire forest was under attack."

"So the demons killed her?" I asked-everyone shook their heads.

"Ara," Eve hesitated for a moment. "T-there is a reason why we were so reluctant to tell you more about the ultimate skill."

"Wait, how does she know about this in the first place?" Elsword snapped-Eve snapped her mouth shut at the question.

"Some knights were talking about it and she overheard," Raven explained coolly. "We made sure not to tell her anything."

"Now you have to tell me what this secret skill is." I folded my arms and scanned the group, with a foot tapping impatiently. "Well?"

Elsword and the others exchanged tense glances with each other, silently urging someone to spill the beans.

"Ara, t-that attack Eve and the others were so hesitant to tell you about was the reason Rena died." Aisha's comment made everyone tense. "There's so much energy needed into that single attack that it requires your life energy to successfully execute."

"O-oh." I felt my arms dropping to my sides.

'Is that why you were so reluctant to teach me, Eun?'

_Yes, such an attack is devastating to the enemy and your own well-being._

'But you'll still teach me, right?'

_Only if you can successfully activate the Secret Art, do not worry, Ara, I keep true to my promises-no matter how risky they may be._

"So Rena used that attack to save the forest?" I asked.

Aisha dropped her eyes down," y-yeah. We watched her use the attack a-and...die."

I felt my eyes burning," I'm so sorry." I whispered. "It must have been hard for all of you."

"It was," Eve sniffled. "But most of us recovered over time."

"I-I just don't know what to do now." Raven pinched the bridge of his nose. "Right when we recovered from the loss she came back into our lives."

"Talk about opening up the wound again," Aisha rested her head on Elsword's shoulder and closed her eyes. "I-I think what scares me the most now is losing her all over again."


	66. 66

I retired to bed early as the rest of the team stayed behind to discuss the recent return of Rena-I felt bad for staying and listening to their private conversation. The base was quiet as quiet as can be, many of the knights were resting from today's battle while the least injured patrolled.

Along the the way I couldn't help but wonder what Chung and Rena's relationship was, Rena seemed so much more emotional when she first set eyes on him. It made something at the pit of my stomach stir upon seeing Chung so eager to follow her and care for her. Just as we began growing closer she came in and quite literally ripped us apart.

I wish I could welcome her with open arms and acknowledge that she was on old friend to the team, but the ugly truth was I hated her. I hated how she made me feel so alienated to the people I cared for and I hated how she dragged away one of my closest friends. But if any of them were to hear these thoughts they would hate me too.

"Remember when you first brought me hiking in the forest?" I perked my head up at Chung's soft voice.

"I do," Rena's voice answered softly. "I recall laughing when you fell in a hole or when you attempted to climb a tree but nearly broke your arm. You were not as skilled as Raven when it came to outdoor activities."

I held my breath and crept around the base searching for them. I came to an abrupt stop upon catching a glimpse of the two near the outskirts of the base. I ducked behind a tent and poked my head out to examine them.

Rena and Chung were standing side by side with their backs toward me, their hands were separated with an inch of space-a sudden wave of emotions hit me square on the head. I swallowed down the lump forming at the back of my throat and dug my nails into the damp soil.

He chuckled," I miss spending those happy days with you."

"I...bet my former self would miss them too."

"Rena, you seem different." Chung's hand inched closer to hers but quickly retreated back. "Before you would waste no time to tell us a bad joke, you'd literally laugh at everything, and you were nice to everyone and anyone; regardless of whether they deserved it or not. Now you seem so...blank. Even Eve shows more emotion than you."

"I've noticed," Rena answered. "Everyone has changed. Eve and Raven seem like new parents now, Aisha is less of a tomboy, Elsword no longer plagues us with his inappropriate jokes, and you've grown soft."

"Soft?"

"You didn't even kill the demon when you had the chance." She elaborated.

"Oh, I'm assuming you mean Ara." He ran a hand through his hair. "I'll admit it, I didn't like her at first."

"At first? What made you change your mind?" She asked.

"She cared for my friends and even cared for me-the person who was nothing but a jerk to her." I felt my face warming at his response. "In a way Ara reminded me of you. She accepted the demons that should've been our enemies and put in her best effort during battles-"

"She almost sounds normal." Rena snorted.

"Rena, what happened to you?" Chung sighed. "You don't seem happy anymore, y-you seem so cold now."

"Chung, let me be honest with you." Rena answered almost instantly. "Ever since I came back I can't feel anything. Sure I can cry but I won't get the feeling of being sad. When I see knights die from the demons I feel the strong urge to kill, but I don't feel despair or anger. Even when I look back on my life I can't remember the feelings I had, just the physical aspects. It's like eating food without any taste-only the texture."

A cool breeze swept by, combing strands of Rena's long green hair through its invisible fingers.

"That's horrible," Chung whispered.

Rena shrugged," it's not horrible if I can't feel bad about it." Her hand reached over to Chung's and grasped it-Chung's shoulder tensed at the contact. "While I can't experience any emotions, I do know when I should feel good. When I'm with you I get this warm feeling in my chest and if I had a heart I bet it would be bouncing a million times."

"I-I see," he said, locking fingers with her.

"Perhaps that's the feeling that made me agree to be your girlfriend."

I couldn't stop my eyes from burning as those words came out from Rena's mouth. A small voice at the back of my head screamed at me to leave them alone but my legs refused to move, keeping me prisoner in their private conversation.

"I missed you...a lot." He squeezed her hand. "I-I stopped doing volunteer work, fundraisers-everything we used to do together. I-it hurt too much to do them by myself."

"I'm sorry," she sniffled. "Sorry I cannot feel sad for you, sorry that I left you when you needed me the most, and I'm sorry for being this empty shell of my former self."

"It's okay," he pecked her on the forehead. "You're still the beautiful elf I fell for."

His words hammered down on the shambles of my aching heart, each soothing thing he said to her increased the weight on my chest.

"Ara?" A soft voice whispered behind me. I snapped my head back to meet the eyes of Aisha, behind her was Elsword and Speka. "Are you okay?" She asked with furrowed brows.

"Uh oh," Speka's perked her head up to get a better look at the reunited couple-Aisha trailed her eyes up to see them. "Looks like your friend has been eavesdropping on their conversation."

"I-I wasn't-" I wiped my eyes dry with my sleeve. "I-it isn't like that."

"Come on, Ara." Aisha held out her hand to me. "Why don't we all have a girl talk?"

I felt my cheeks warming instantly at the offer. A part of me wanted to decline her offer but another part pleaded for me to speak with someone. I bowed my head and placed my hand into hers.

"Can I come along?" Elsword asked as Aisha pulled me up.

"Sorry but girls only," Aisha said, pulling me up to my feet. I retreated my hand back once I was safely up.

"That's not fair," Elsword pouted. "I sense some serious inequality here."

"Sorry, Els, but us girls need to have some privacy for this talk." Aisha grabbed my hand and her sister's. "We'll be seeing you tomorrow."

Before Elsword got a chance to answer Aisha broke off into a sprint. The sisters broke into laughter as they left Elsword behind in the dust while I followed in silence.

We came to a stop once we arrived at the stone fountain. Silence fell between us as we were catching our breaths, Aisha and Speka held toothy smiles while I kept my head down and eyes locked onto the grass.

"So, Ara," Speka wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "We can see there's trouble in paradise."

"W-what?" I blurted.

"I think it's pretty obvious you have a crush on Chung," Aisha piped in, also adding an arm around me. "Don't try to say _it's not like that, _we both saw how you looked back there and that did not seem like nothing."

At that moment my heart skipped a beat as her words slowly sunk into my mind. While it made the world around me light up at the realization of my feelings it also made it feel like someone threw a brick into my stomach.

I folded my hands in front of me," w-why does it matter now?" The words began slipping freely out, bringing salty tears with them.

"Don't say that," Aisha said softly. "Your feelings matter regardless."

"I guess it is a bit hard since that elf seems very familiar with your man." Speka added bluntly.

"Speka, don't say that," Aisha snapped-I could picture her glaring daggers at her twin.

"Hey don't get mad at me," she defended. "I only speak the truth, sis."

"B-but still-"

"No, Speka's right." I broke free from their arms and kept my back turned on them. "I-I know Rena was-is Chung's girlfriend."

Speka cursed under her breath.

"It doesn't matter anymore," I felt like someone ripped another piece of my heart apart. I wrapped my arms around myself and squeezed my eyes shut, enclosing the warm tears in.

"Ara," one of the sisters whispered.

'Eun, please bring me back to the tent.' Almost instantly I felt my control slip-taking the tears away with it

"Sorry, girls," Eun spoke up, wiping our eyes dry. None of the twins responded to the abrupt transition. "Ara wishes to be alone now."

We turned to face the twin mages, both stared back at us with furrowed brows. Aisha took a step forward and placed a hand on our shoulder.

"Can she still hear us?" She asked.

Eun bobbed our head," but I cannot rest assure she'll pay attention to your words."

"That's fine, as long as she can hear me it's okay." She answered with a small smile. "Ara, you can always come to me and Speka to talk. I can't speak for my sister but you're a good friend of mine. I saw you grow from the day you started joining us, we shared some laughs, some tears-we've been through the thick and the thin together. You might not have been with us for years, but I still see you as a valued member of this family, and I want nothing more than to help you."

I want to tell you about everything, but I'm scared of how you'll act around me afterwards. I wanted to scream.

"Hey, Aisha, stop making me sound like a jerk." Speka punched her on the back-Aisha narrowed her eyes at her but kept silent.

Speka locked eyes with us and placed her hand on my other shoulder. "Listen, Ara, I might not know you that well but I think you and your fox friend are pretty cool. I appreciate you being so kind to my sister so I'll be more than glad to help you out. It's the least I can do to repay you for looking after my older sis."

I wanted more than anything to take control again, pull the two sisters into a hug and tell them everything, but I knew I'd be too weak to own up to that thought-my legs would grow weak the instant I began revealing my past, my feelings-everything.

"She appreciates it," Eun smiled at the twins. "I can feel her emotions running through this body. I believe it is only a matter of time before she will come to you two for guidance."

Don't make promises I can't keep, Eun.

"That's good to hear," Speka squeezed our shoulder. "Stay strong, Ara. We're here for you."

"Please don't think we'll feel burdened," Aisha added. "We're here to listen, Ara."

What happened next not only caught the twins off guard but also me. Just as they were about to let go of our shoulders Eun wrapped our arms around them and pulled them both in for a hug. Both Aisha and Speka froze at the gesture but returned the gesture shortly.

At first I thought I was somehow in control but when I tried to pull away my body wouldn't listen.

"Thank you for looking out for her in ways I cannot." Eun whispered. "While I can protect her in combat you two can help her with more human aspects. Once again I thank you for your support."

* * *

The following morning I awoke at the same time with the same fear pounding through my my veins.I grabbed my hair pin and snuck out like I had before, but instead of heading straight to the fountain to find some solace I stuck around the tents debating whether I should wake Chung up or not. While I felt disgusted of myself for getting close to someone else's man, I wanted someone to be there for me.

After what felt like hours of arguing with myself I retreated from the idea of looking for Chung and decided to spend the rest of the night by myself. I had a funny feeling that I would be killed on the spot if Rena caught us together alone.

I greeted some guards along the way but this time none of them questioned whether I was up or not, they either didn't have the energy to care or they heard about my late night walk from the previous guards. Whatever the reason may be I was glad they didn't ask.

At that moment I wanted nothing more than to fall back on the damp grass and listen to the trickling water, it was a perfect way for me to relax from the fears binding me down. When I finally arrived to the fountain; however, that was not the case. Instead of being greeted by an empty patch of grass I saw Rena and Chung. Chung was asleep with Rena wrapped in his arms-she had her eyes closed no doubt trying to savour every last second of her time with him.

I clasped a hand over my mouth and forced my heavy legs back. I mentally screamed at myself to turn around and leave but my eyes refused to leave the couple. Every passing second sharpened the daggers digging into my fractured heart, I was only seconds away from breaking down.

'Eun, p-please get me out of here.'

_As you wish, Child. _

Eun took over in an instant and ran away from the fountain. I was hoping it'll drop me off at my tent but for some unknown reason Eun gave control back to me half way through the journey. I begged for it to take over again but Eun wouldn't respond-I never felt a stronger urge to punch someone in the face. I had no choice but to walk myself back.

The path ahead of me was blurred and my legs were sapped of energy. My body trembled from the cold during the walk back while my mind was numb-my eyes were stinging from all the tears I let out in a single day. For the first time, in a long time, I felt dead on the inside, every part of me yearned to lay on the ground and rest-but I had to push on. I couldn't let anyone see me at such a low point, they'd point, laugh; spread rumours about me. I had to be stronger than that.

I curled my fingers into a tight ball the moment I was back at my tent-every inch of me screamed to go somewhere else. I knew I'd let my own mind tear itself apart if I stayed here any longer, but my only escape was no longer an option. I either had to lose all my dignity to Rena or fall victim to myself.

_You have Aisha and Speka. _Eun reminded softly. _But it is up to you whether you choose to let them help you. _

'But would they understand, Eun?'

_Does it matter if they understand? Isn't it better to have someone to fall back on than no one at all?_

I felt like vomiting out all the food I had consumed last night. All I could dwell on was how badly the sisters would react and how differently they'd treat me if I told them of such events. I trembled on the spot, my hands and feet now cold as ice, and my mind spinning faster than a top-but I knew Eun was right. I swallowed up my fear and forced myself toward their tent, every step I took sapped more energy out of my legs. Every inch I manged to to walk stirred more doubts and hesitation in my spinning head.

I felt the world around me freeze the moment I found myself standing in front of their tent with a hand stretched out and ready to open the entrance flap. I wanted so badly to turn back and run away-they _really _didn't need to know after all.

I could live out the rest of my life with my past hidden just inches under my smile. No one needed to know what took place in my village, they could always see me as the happy orphaned girl who happens to have some amazing powers. They didn't need to know the broken girl who lost her entire village in one day.

'What should I do, Eun? How can I be sure they'll understand? How do I know this isn't all just a big mistake?'

_It's very simple, Ara. You can either have your friends love you as the person you truly are or have them love you as the character you put upfront. _

'Of course I wanted them to love for who I am; but would they accept that person?'

_You've made it this far, Ara. You can turn back now or face your fears. _

I clenched my teeth and fought back every urge to run away, my closed hand was now aching from the strain I put on it. I held my breath, squeezed my eyes shut, and yanked the tent flap open.

I waited for a couple of seconds for one of the twins to awaken but it didn't seem like they knew of my presence. I opened my mouth to speak but the words were caught at the back of my throat. I tried over and over to say something but nothing came out, the more I tried the harder it was for my legs to keep me up. It wasn't long before they finally collapsed under me.

"Who's there?" Both the twins gasped-I heard them shuffling out of their beds.

There was a moment of silence.

"A-Ara?" One of them finally said. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I-I'll admit it," I began with eyes still squeezed shut. "I-I do have feelings for C-Chung, strong ones in fact. H-he was always there when I needed to a reason to smile a-and he always knew what to say to make me feel better. I-I feel so happy around him but now...he's not here when I need him the most."

"Wow, slow down there." One of the sisters wrapped an arm around me. "Why do you need him right now?"

"Ara, what's going on?" The other added.

"I-I want him to be by my side when I'm scared." I began to bawl. Every ounce of strength left my body, I fell limply forward but the sisters caught me before I could face plant on the ground. "I-I want him to g-give me comfort when I-I'm alone...b-but he left me like my brother."

"Y-your brother?" One of the twins quoted.

"H-he left like Aren." I collided a tight fist into the ground. "I-I want my brother back. W-why won't he just come home?! W-why does everyone I care for have to leave?!"

For the next hour the truth slowly began seeping out. The more I spoke the more my defences dropped, it was almost easy to tell the sisters about everything. To my surprise they listened without saying a word, only speaking when the tears were too much for me.

I was completely drained once my sad tale was finished. My eyes were tired and red from my emotional roller coaster and my limbs ached with fatigue. Silence filled the tiny tent once my story was done. I probably would've grown paranoid of their answer as the silence dragged on but I was too tired to care anymore.

"Wow," Aisha managed to say. "I-I don't even know what to say."

"Eun really did a good job looking after you," Speka added softly.

"Yeah," I managed a small smile. "I'm grateful for that."

"Ara, I wish I knew a way to make things better." Aisha began hesitantly. "B-but I don't think there's anything we can do to make it better."

"You listened," I said-I found myself remembering Scarlet's conversation. "That's the best thing you could do for me."

"Ara," Aisha played with her thumbs. "I-I might not know what it's like to lose your entire village a-and I might not know what it's like to be an orphan, but I know what it's like to lose a sibling. Back then I might not have acknowledged Speka's absence, but it still hurt-sometimes the simple realization of not having her in my life tore me apart. Losing my twin sister was like losing a best friend. I know how that feels, a-and I want to help. Ara, I promise I'll help you track down Aren, I'll do everything in my power to help you reunite with him again."

"A-Aisha," I found myself choking up again.

"And I know what it's like to be alone," Speka piped in. "It sucks big time, but you're lucky enough to have such supporting friends. As a fellow loner I'd be more than glad to be your new friend, we need all the support we can get." She playfully punched my arm. "I'll help find your brother as well. Reuniting with Aisha was better than any cool adventure I've been on, and I think you deserve to feel that happiness."

"Guys," I sniffled. "You're going to make me cry again."

"Then cry," they answered in unison.

"We're practically family at this point," Aisha said with a light chuckle. "It's okay to cry in front of us. We'll be supporting you through the thick and the thin."

"T-thanks," I wrapped my arms around the sisters, this time they didn't hesitate to return the gesture. "T-this means the world to me."


	67. 67

**I'm probably gonna get killed for saying this but...Team Instinct's leader looks pretty cool. Haha glad I chose to side with them.**

**Oh and next chapter may not be up today. If it's not expect it to come out tomorrow evening.**

I left the twins' tent despite Aisha and Speka's protests, both sisters insisted I sleep with them for the night. While the idea of spending the remainder of the night with my friends was nice, I didn't want to bother them, plus I didn't have a "bed" to sleep on.

I lied about returning to my tent to catch some extra shut eye before taking off into the darkness of the early morning-I didn't want to return to the prison of my past. Seeing how the Chung and Rena were occupying the only peaceful spot I could think of in Feita, I made my way up to the graveyard. Spending my night with gravestones wasn't the best way to make time fly but it was quiet; quiet and peaceful.

I crept into the misty hill with hands wrapped tightly around my trembling body. I didn't bother taking my spear or the blue pendant before leaving, as Eun was probably enough to fight off any lurking enemies and I could withstand the cold anyways. Shivers ran down my spine at the unease I felt walking in. I wasn't sure if it was the lingering fear I still held from the nightmares or from the paranoia I felt from walking into a graveyard in the dark. I found myself glancing back every few seconds, half-expecting to find a dead corpse standing a few meters behind me.

"There's nothing there," I whispered to myself just as I finished checking over my for the twelve time. "I-if there is I can fight it. U-unless that creep with without limbs show up."

"That does sound creepy."

I let out the biggest scream I could and spun myself around-a dark figure stood a good distance behind me, their identity veiled by the violet fog. I growled at the dark figure and lifted my clammy fists up.

"Wow, no need to get violent." The figure escaped from the protective cover of the fog and pulled back on their hood, rebellious strands of scarlet red hair poked out from her head. "I didn't think you'd get that scared." She giggled.

"S-Scarlet," I relaxed my clammy hands and sighed. "Don't randomly pop up on me like that." I laughed despite the drumming of my heart.

She smiled sheepishly," sorry, I couldn't help myself. The set up was just too good to not scare you." She held out her arms and pouted. "Can you at least give me a hug?"

I rolled my eyes but accepted her hug anyways. Her arms wrapped tightly around me, forcing some air out of my lungs. I hugged her back but not with the same force.

"Is everything okay, Ara?" Scarlet asked once we pulled away, her red eyes locking onto mine. "You looked like you just cried."

"Y-yeah," I pried my gaze away from her. "It's just not my day today."

It's never really my day unless I can find Aren safe and sound.

"May I ask what's wrong?" She gently placed a hand on my shoulder. "I understand if it's too personal, but I'm here to listen."

I felt the familiar burning return to my eyes," I cried because I told some other friends about my past and..." I paused. "Well, it's nothing."

"Nothing?!" Scarlet cupped my cheek and forced me to look at her. "Ara, no matter how big or small the problem is, it should never be treated as nothing."

"It's really something stupid though," I chuckled dryly, backing away from her hand.

"No it isn't," she persisted. "I promise I won't laugh...unless it's something really embarrassing like walking into the wrong washroom."

I laughed, genuinely this time," that's not even possible out here."

"S-so? Doesn't mean i-it can't happen." She answered hastily with flushed cheeks. "S-so what's up? What made you so upset?"

I sighed and decided to tell her the story about Rena and her relationship with Chung. It felt wrong to tell a complete stranger about the team's deceased member and Chung's private relationship, but letting Scarlet know wouldn't hurt anyone. She didn't know anyone aside from me (as far as I knew) so who could she possibly share it with?

"I don't know who this Rena is but I wanna sock her in the face." She said once I was finished. "First she nearly kills you and then she steals your man; who does she think she is?"

"Scarlet, don't say that." I slapped her on the arm. "You should be punching me, I-I've been getting too comfortable with her boyfriend." I felt a small part of me crumble as those words left my mouth.

"It's so cruel," she seethed through clenched teeth. "I was really rooting for you and that dude."

"I-it's not her fault." I swallowed down the growing lump at the back of my throat. "I-it was never meant to be."

"But aren't you mad?" Scarlet's question felt like a punch to the face. "Don't you wanna win him over? Don't you want to do anything to be his?"

"Scarlet, it's wrong to think like that." I ran a hand through my tangled hair-I couldn't help but think back to all the times I shared with him, the battles we fought together, and the kiss we shared that night-things I'm sure Rena had experienced many times before.

"Ara, who cares if it's wrong or not?" Scarlet's voice tightened, but it held its warmth. "What matters is how you feel."

"But those feelings are toxic."

"So let them be toxic." Scarlet persisted. "It's how you feel. Just let them out before they eat you away."

_But is that truly how you want to deal with this problem? _Eun challenged.

I bowed my head, my mind racing to find the right words to say. I knew talking behind my friends' backs was wrong, but maybe Scarlet had a point. Maybe I would feel better if I just let it all out-it worked fine with Aisha and Speka, maybe I will feel better afterwards.

_I hope you know what you are doing, Ara._

"I-I hate to admit it, but I wish Rena never came back." I whispered weakly-a smile stretched on Scarlet's face at my despicable confession. "I-if she never came maybe things would be different now."

"There you go." Scarlet clapped me on the back, but her gesture didn't settle the unease settling at the back of my mind. "Keep going."

Something inside me sparked to life at Scarlet's encouragement. The blood in my veins boiled at the many suppressed thoughts flushing into my conscious mind.

"I hate that Chung just ditched me for her. I-I get that she's his girlfriend or whatever but we still shared some precious moments together. I hate how he could just ditch me and forget all the times we spent together-" I stopped, suddenly feeling the bone-crushing weight of those words. I sighed and buried my face into my hand. "I'm such an awful friend."

"You're not an awful friend," Scarlet answered softly. "They just don't understand, but I do. Ara, what you need to do now is get some sweet revenge."

The word 'revenge' sent shivers down my spine," r-revenge?" The word rolled uncomfortably off my tongue.

"Revenge on that Rena girl and your two-timing jerk." She elaborated with a wink. "I know I would do anything to get revenge on those who harm me." The warmth in her voice vanished with a snap of a finger, those red eyes now burning with a fierce and dangerous emotion-it could make a tiger cower from its intensity.

"Scarlet," I suddenly found myself backing away from the person I considered a friend. "Don't you think taking revenge is a bit...overboard?"

"Overboard?" She laughed, her voice bouncing loudly around the foggy graveyard. "Ara, sometimes you can't solve all your problems with kindness." She smirked. "Sometimes you need to take matters into your own hands and do some dirty work."

"W-where is all this coming from?" I felt Eun stirring with energy, readying to pounce at Scarlet at any time.

She shot a me a confused look, but that expression was quickly wiped with a twisted smile," I blame the ones who attacked my home. Thanks to them I want nothing but revenge." She took a step toward me. "Don't you want to take revenge on those who took your home away?"

I knew the correct answer was no, for all I know the demons could be good now, but a part of me refused to let that single word out. I clenched my teeth at the thought of confronting the demon that killed my Mother, my Father; my entire village. I felt my hands trembling at the simple thought of giving them mercy.

Scarlet's expression softened," see? We're the same, Ara." Her voice soft, but I could still hear the malice hidden behind that sweet tone. "I know it can be hard sometimes but we have to do what's best for us. Sometimes being selfish is okay."

"B-but what if the enemy is good now? I've seen people change, Scarlet. Some of the worst criminals have turned their entire life around."

Scarlet narrowed her eyes," who cares? It doesn't wipe away the blood stained on their hands."

A sudden burst of wind rushed past us, the cold air howling from in between the stone tombstones. I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered while Scarlet stayed perfectly still on the spot. Strands of her silky red hair moved along with the roaring air.

"They made us hurt, made our loved ones suffer-it's because of them we're always stuck in the past." She said, raking rebellious strands of hair out of her face. "They deserve what's coming; don't you think?"

I raced through my mind for a ethical response. After the many adventures and hardships I've been through I found myself wanting revenge less and less. The one thing that truly gave me satisfactory now was saving people and seeing the corrupted change for the better. Up until now I haven't given a second thought of hunting down the ones who killed my family.

"Ara, I know our anger can be scary and disgusting to others." The wind stopped brewing around us, our tangled hair fell limply back in place. "But if we hide this darkness we'll only be tricking ourselves. Ara, accept these ugly feelings and let yourself feel anger. The more you bottle it in the more it'll destroy you."

"I-I don't think I can." I stammered, she instantly scowled at my response. "I'm not the same person as I was before. I-I believe demons and people can change for the better."

"Do you really believe that?" Scarlet challenged with closed fists. "Can you really hold yourself back from killing your attackers?"

"I-I can't kill them if they're good." I whispered hesitantly.

"Oh?" Scarlet replied, her voice sparking with amusement. "I wonder how loyal you'll stay to that statement when you encounter them again. If it was me, I'd kill them on the spot."

* * *

Needless to say, Scarlet didn't stick around to speak with me any further. She bade me good bye shortly after our talk about revenge died, I was more than happy to part ways with her. I watched her dark figure walk away, the purple fog swallowing her up the further she went. Once she was gone I was fell into silence with only my racing thoughts to keep me company.

I didn't think Scarlet, the girl who seemed so happy, had such a strong desire to get revenge. I knew her way of thinking was wrong and possibly destructive, but I couldn't blame her. This tiny aspect of her perfectly reflected the person I was before. I was someone who trained day and night in hopes of one day slaughtering the ones who destroyed my village-a small part of me still had that same desire.

I felt sick for having such blood-thirsty desires. It wasn't something I was proud of, not after what I've been through. I knew everyone had a chance to be good, no matter what deeds they did in the past; but did they really deserve mercy? Did they deserve to enjoy the full cup of life?

I stood in that graveyard, stiff and cold as the tombstones surrounding me, for an unknown amount of time. When I finally came to I noticed both my legs had fallen asleep and my neck aching from the static position I held. It was surely time to go back to base.

When I to returned to base everyone was already up and eating-even Yang was there. I made a quick sprint to my tent to get the rest of my belongings for the day. I was a bit reluctant to wear the blue pendant Chung gave me, it felt wrong to wear it around with Rena back, but I took it anyway as it was still an important gift.

Everyone but Rena greeted me as I finally joined them around the camp fire, nearly everyone was finished with their food at that point. Elsword asked why I was up so late but I quickly dodged the question by commenting on the food, I was lucky he wasn't eager to know the truth. I squeezed myself between Speka and Aisha and began digging into my breakfast in silence.

"What you are guys doing today?" Amos asked.

"Lento spoke with me earlier and wanted us to climb as much of the tower as we can." Elsword answered with a stuffed mouth. "The Harmony Festival is quickly closing in and we need to quickly solve this demon crisis."

"It took forever for us to take the first two levels," Speka pointed out grimly. "I can't imagine how long it'll take for us to capture the rest of the tower."

"To save time we'll be camping at the tower." Elsword added with his mouth still stuffed. "So we'll need to bring a lot more supplies today."

"Can I come too?" Amos, who was squeezed in between Eve and Raven, asked.

"No," Raven and Eve answered almost instantly-I could imagine the frown falling on his face.

"But I wanna go camping too," he whined. "I promise I won't wander."

"It is too dangerous for you to go," Eve explained sternly. "I cannot reassure your safety for the entire trip."

"But Allegro taught me how to make some orbs," Amos continued to push on. "I-I can only make water and wind orbs now, but I can still use them to fight."

"We aren't going to let you walk into a dangerous place like that, Amos." Raven added, holding the same firmness as Eve's voice.

"But I wanna help everyone."

"You can help us by listening to Allegro and learning how to make more orbs." Raven's eyes softened on Amos. "If it makes you feel better we'll take some of your orbs with us. It'll be like you're fighting with us."

"Fine," Amos answered with a huff. "I guess _that_ works too."

Raven sighed at Amos' attitude but didn't comment on it any further.

"We should also speak with Allegro about taking care of Amos." Eve pointed out, ignoring the Ponggo's sour mood. "I will talk with him before we leave."

I tuned out from the group and finished the rest of my food in haste. Speka and Aisha made some small talk with me while the others were busy with their own conversations. To say I was grateful of the twins' company would be an understatement.

"Hold on, Elsword." Rena piped in once I was finished taking the last bite of my food. "Will that demon be joining us as well?"

I perked my head up and narrowed my eyes at her pointed finger. I bit on my tongue as a burning insult emerged in my mind.

"She has a name, lady." Speak shot back instantly. "It's Ara in case you forgot."

Rena retreated her hand behind with a scowl. I could only imagine she was searching for her bow.

"Y-yeah," Elsword stammered. "Ara will be joining us. She's a part of this team, and she's my friend."

"She is a danger to us," Rena's voice rose-Chung shifted uncomfortably beside her. "I object to her participation."

"Well I support her going," Speka wrapped an arm around me, a small smile crept on my lips at the simple gesture. "She's my friend and ally. We're not leaving without her."

"I agree," Aisha piped in, adding another arm around me. "Ara is my friend as well. If she's not going I'm not going either."

"Do you not care about your well-being?" Rena asked incredulously. "She's a ticking time bomb, you don't know when she'll strike us all down." She turned her head to Eve and Raven, the duo shifted their eyes down almost instantly.

"You two must agree with me." She added.

"Rena, I must side with the magician sisters." Eve clasped her hands tightly together with eyes shifted away from Rena. "I understand your paranoia around her, but I have fought by her side many times to know she is a trusted friend."

"Eve, even you too?" Rena's eyes pinpointed on Raven. "Raven, don't tell me you're okay with this."

"Ara and Raven helped me back in my village," Amos piped in, despite not joining us on this mission. "Ara is super strong and super cool. I think she should go."

"I'm with my little man," Raven answered, ruffling the Ponggo's head-Amos groaned from the gesture. "I enjoy having Ara and that fox demon on the team."

Rena shot up from the ground and turned her back on us," you're all hopeless." She huffed before stomping away. This time no one followed her.

"Don't worry," Aisha whispered into my ear. "Rena may not trust you but we do."

Elsword sighed," well I guess we should start preparing for the trip. It'd be smart to pack extra potions, some food, extra water..."

I was still smiling to myself like an idiot, each kind thing my friends spoke about me sang softly through my head. While every word they said warmed my heart, I couldn't help but feel the blood boiling bitterness from Chung's lack of support.

He probably wanted to side with his lover (and was too timid to defend her), it was only natural, but it still hurt not having him there to support me. I thought friends were always supposed to have each other's backs, but I guess that rule goes out the window when there's a lover in the picture.

* * *

Amos handed each of us a pouch filled with blue and cyan orbs just as we were finished packing, he stated the blue ones could freeze enemies while the cyan could deal extra damage. Once everyone was ready for the long trip, Amos and Allegro both walked us out of the base and bid everyone goodbye.

Conversations between various knights stirred around me, the many voices blending together as one incoherent sound, while I kept to myself. The only thing I wanted to focus on was the mission and the attacks I would link together today-if I didn't I would spend my time musing over Scarlet's unusual desire for revenge and Chung's lack of support for me.

I made a mental list of the different combinations I could try today. I made combination of quick attacks along with slow ones-one of them had to be right. Just as I was about to come up with another combination a deep voice snapped me back to the bitter reality.

"Hey," Chung's voice sounded beside me. I tightened my lips together and pretended I didn't hear him. "Sorry about Rena. She isn't usually like that."

"Whatever," I mumbled, perking my head up to see if there were any openings further ahead for Yang and I to go.

"Ara, you doing alright?" His question made a lump form at the back of my throat.

"Why do you care?" I snapped with eyes glued ahead. Even without looking I felt his gaze locked onto me.

"What's wrong?" He asked calmly. "You seem more irritated today."

What's wrong is the way you're ignoring me. How can you expect me to feel okay when you kiss me one day and abandon me the next? I swallowed and answered instead with," stop being so nosy."

"Nosy? Ara, I'm just making sure you're alright." I felt his shrewd gaze piercing holes into my side. I tightened my hold on Yang's reins and silently prayed for something to swallow us whole. "Is it wrong for me to worry about you?"

"You're such a caring person," I rolled my eyes. "I feel better already." I added sarcastically.

"What's wrong with you today?" His voice rose with anger, causing some curious heads to turn away way-I bowed my heated face from the attention. "You won't fix anything by yelling at me."

His harsh voice only made it harder to fight back the burning in my eyes. I closed my eyes in hopes of keeping any rebellious tears in," you're what's wrong with me." I choked on my words.

He didn't reply after that.

I mutely motioned Yang to walk faster, Yang grunted at the command and began pushing past the wall of knights-many cursed at us along the way. I kept my eyes shut through the whole way, but even without looking back I knew he wasn't hurrying to follow me.

When we arrived at the Temple we were welcomed by the many knights stationed at the first corridor. We received the same welcoming from the knights stationed at the second floor and some even gave us extra potions they brewed up earlier. After thanking the knights for the extra supplies Elsword and Speka began leading us up to the third floor. Aisha and I followed right behind them.

Silence once again fell on the group as we gingerly trudged up the stone steps. Weapons and armour clanged with each step, every tiny noise giving our position away to the enemy.

"The next section is commonly known as the Spiral Corridor." Speka explained in a whisper. "Things may go wrong the instant we reach the next floor so keep your guards up."

"How so?" Aisha asked beside me.

"We have never been able to capture this floor due to an insanely strong enemy." She explained with stiffened shoulders. "Many knights died to this demon alone."

"Good thing I packed both El Shards." Elsword said, not bothering to hide his pride. "We're invincible with two Shards by our side."

"You brought two?" I piped in a bit too loudly. "Elsword, what if something happens to you? We'd risk losing both El Shards-"

"I'm holding onto the Fire Shard," Aisha cut me off softly. She reached a hand into her pocket and pulled out an orange orb. "If anything happens with Elsword I'll be ready to save him with mine."

"O-oh," I felt my cheeks warm from my overreaction.

"Hopefully nothing bad happens up there." Speka whispered.

Many knights were panting once we finally reached the top of the stone stairs. Unlike the second floor, the next area was just a single curved hallway-torches were attached to both sides of the walls every few meters, their purple flames dancing dimly in the dark stone corridor, spreading slender shadows along the bumpy floors and walls. The linear path evidently made Elsword and Speka tense. Both the leaders drew out their weapons before proceeding forward.

What truly unnerved me was the lack of enemies rushing toward us. Just like the previous floor there were no space for the demons to hide and it didn't seem like any ghosts were patrolling for intruders. The further we proceeded the more it felt like we were walking in one big circle. There were no branching hallways or rooms, we just kept walking around the seemingly endless hall.

I saw red flags flash in my head as Yang came to an abrupt stop. It bared its fangs at the curved path ahead and growled. Elsword and Speka instantly froze at the sudden noise.

"D-did someone's stomach growl?" Elsword whispered.

"I-it's Yang," I answered softly-the knights marching behind us stopped. We were surrounded in a buzzing silence. "Something isn't right."

I squinted my eyes ahead. Despite my enhanced vision in the dark I still couldn't see any signs of an enemy up ahead, the only thing I could make out was a pile of rocks. The dim purple light bounced off the surface of the rocks, spots untouched by the light were left in a splatter of darkness.

"It has to be that demon," Speka pointed her staff toward the path ahead. "It often attacks without notice. I'm surprised it allowed us to come this far."

"A demon veiled in darkness, eh?" Rena's monotone voice piped in. She proceeded forward, her single footsteps thumping loudly down the seemingly empty hall. I flared my nose as her slender figure idly strode past me.

"Rena, what are you doing?" I snapped through closed teeth.

"I am simply doing my job." She pushed passed Elsword and Speka. "Stand back and watch, you pest."

She pointed her bow toward the curtain of darkness ahead and drew back on the string. Three glowing green arrows formed from her fingertips.

"Rena, w-we really shouldn't be shooting arrows at some unknown demon." Aisha tried to intervene. "W-we don't even know what we're up against yet."

"I would much rather hit the target before it comes for me," she adjusted the position of her aim. "Would you not do the same?"

Aisha didn't get a chance to reply as she let go of the three arrows. The three arrows flew down the stone path ahead, their passing green light pushing aside the thick darkness in their path for a brief second. I held my breath as all three arrows attached themselves on the pile of purple rocks sprawled ahead. The illuminating green arrows lingered on the rocks for a couple seconds longer before dimming, allowing the darkness to swallow it whole.

Yang snarled at the crunching noise up ahead. Elsword and Speka quickly glanced back at us before averting their attention back to the front. I felt my heart dropping as the pile of rocks began to shift, it was clear that those weren't just harmless obstacles.

"D-did you see something move?" Aisha whispered.

"I saw it." I warned, preparing to steer Yang away from the danger. The rocks pushed themselves away from the purple light, and trudged further down the hall with thumping footsteps. "Be careful, the enemy is disguised as a pile of rocks."

Yang quickly doubled back as the ground beneath us began to tremble. Knights behind us muttered in confusion while others screamed from the unknown force causing the tremors.

"The target is on the move," Rena lowered her bow once the tremors had settled down. "We attack now!"

"Wait-" Elsword didn't get a chance to finish as she took off sprinting ahead.

"Man, this chick is crazy in all levels." Speka blurted.

"Elsword," Chung ran up from the back. I didn't need to hear him finish to know what he wanted to say. "We need to go after her."

Of course we need to, I wanted to say. I doubt she'd want us there to help though, especially not from me or Speka.

Elsword groaned and raked his hand through his hair," looks like we have a change of plans. Instead of being cool stealthy ninjas we're charging head first into battle."

I smirked at the familiarity of the strategy, "I like the sound of that." Aisha chuckled at the my response.

"Ara, you and Yang can move better in the dark than any of us. Go ahead and try to keep Rena safe until we get there." Elsword ordered.

"I'm going with her," Chung rushed to our side. I opened my mouth to object but he began climbing on before I had a chance to say anything.

"Chung, are you sure? Fighting in this dim lighting is dangerous." Elsword warned.

"The torches here don't do much but they're better than nothing." He answered, placing an arm around my waist. "Besides, having three people starting the fight will be better than two."

"Fine, but be careful out there." Elsword sighed. "And...make sure Rena gets out okay."

"Yeah," his grip around my waist tightened-my cheeks warmed at the touch. "C'mon, Ara, let's go help her."

I don't want to save someone as rude as her. I wanted to scream. She's the first person to ever make me feel so left out in this group, I hate her.

Instead of complaining I kept my mouth shut and motioned Yang to charge forward. Chung's body leaned closer to mine the moment we started charging forward, my heart was racing with excitement from his closeness. The further we ran the more I could hear Rena's shouts accompanied with the crumbling of rocks, I could only assume she was somehow winning the fight.

"Thanks, Ara." He whispered-I could hear him despite Rena's shouts echoing loudly ahead.

"Y-yeah." I motioned Yang to go faster.

Anything to make you happy, I thought.

It didn't take long for us to track down the stone demon and Rena. She was backed into the wall with the stone demon raining punches down on her. While the enemy didn't seem to have any trouble fighting in the dim lighting, Rena struggled under all the quick and veiled attacks.

Chung released a line of glowing blue missiles at the stone enemy, the golem-like creature turned its stone head at the new threats, Rena had just enough light and time to successfully kick the demon back and roll away-pushing it back into Chung's attack.

"Chung, take the wheel." I quickly handed him the reins.

"W-wait, I don't know how to control Yang!"

I hopped off of Yang's back and lunged my spear down on the demon with a burst of energy and pushed it back further, I jumped away from the target and silently awaited its next move-Yang stepped protectively in front of me and growled, its paws engulfed in a red flame.

"Chung, I didn't think you'd come," Rena said, rushing by his side. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine; but what about you? How could you run into that fight so carelessly?" He snapped.

"I underestimated the enemy's strength." She answered flatly. "I apologize for making you run all the way over here. Thank you for the rescue."

"You should be thanking Ara," his comment caught my completely off guard. I held back the urge to join in on the conversation and kept my eyes locked on the stone enemy ahead-it clenched its fists together and collided it into a neighbouring wall with a loud _boom_, the corridor shook from the hit.

I instinctively backed into the couple as the enemy began charging toward us, with two purple boulders held in each hand-it was nearly impossible to keep a good footing in the shaking ground. Chung cursed under his breath and instantly launched a clutter of blue missiles toward it.

At first it didn't seem like his attacks were very effective but as more missiles collided into the demon it began to slow down. The stone golem howled from the hit just before launching its twin boulders toward us.

"Y-Yang, go fetch!" I ordered with trembling legs.

Yang leaped into the air and toward the flying rocks in an instant. My chest tightened at the thought of the rocks smashing into its small body before it could launch a hit, I instantly wished I hadn't ordered it it defend us.

Yang collided a burning front paw into the boulder, instantly rippling cracks onto its surface and allowing the amber flames to seep into its core. Yang kicked itself off toward the next boulder with its hind legs, the flaming boulder burst into pieces from the simple kick and showered us in pebbles and debris. Yang performed a similar attack toward the next boulder, but this time it used the next boulder to launch itself higher into the air where it got a better view of the golem.

Orange light flashed through the corridor as Yang released a stream of fire toward the golem. I shielded my eyes from the blinding light accompanied with a burst of heat. The golem was pushed back from the fire and fell back on its hands, its massive body still covered in cracking amber flames.

Yang landed shortly behind us and huffed, releasing a puff of scorching hot smoke from its nostrils and snout.

Rena and I took this chance to charge forward and fight back.

Rena pulled back on her bow and summoned out a massive blue-green arrow," Wind Blast!" She released the arrow with a burst of green light and wind-a trail of light followed behind the flying arrow. The demon was instantly knocked onto its back the moment the arrow attached itself to the stone body, piercing the demon with flashes of light.

As the demon was occupied with Rena's attack, I leaped up into the air and prepared for mine," Suppression!" I smacked my spear down on my foe's head-the impact of my attack dented the floor underneath the golem's head.

Unable to think of another attack I quickly leaped back from the target. At the corner of my eye I could see Rena running past me. She came to an abrupt halt, quickly aimed the bow at her target, and pulled back. With a flash of golden light a new arrow was formed from her fingertips.

"Aero Strafe!" She released the arrow, it flew out of her grip with a booming green light. The moment the arrow collided with the target a burst of wind released, nearly pushing me off my feet. I plunged my spear firm into the stone ground and rested my weight on it as the buffeting air pushed against me. I squinted my eyes against the flying debris rushing into my face, even with my narrowed vision I could still see the enemy's body trashing against the famished magic eating away at it. It didn't take long for our enemy to fall silent.

The wind stopped brewing against us once the golden arrow plunged into the golem's chest vanished into the blanket of darkness.

Rena leaped back beside me and aimed her bow at the fallen foe, I mimicked her actions with my spear-not even I was sure if the target was still able to fight.

I whispered to myself every passing second while Rena stood silently beside me. Once the ten second mark finally passed I allowed myself to lower my spear.

"W-we won," I sighed, wiping my sleeve across my damp forehead. "We actually won."

Rena lowered her bow at my announcement. I was surprised she decided to trust me considering how much she saw me as a threat. Yang crept beside me and licked my hand, I scratched it behind its ears in return.

"Wow, you two made an amazing team out there." Chung finally piped in. "Good job on making me feel useless in this fight."

"Nonsense, Chung. Without you I would've escaped that golem with sever injuries." Rena reminded him of his heroic save.

"That victory was...too easy." I said with eyes still glued on the fallen demon. I half-expected it to be up on its feet and launch another boulder at us. "I-I have a bad feeling about this."

"I hate to admit it but the demon is right." Rena returned her attention back to the fallen pile of rocks. "I have a hard time believing the enemy is already down."

"We can stick around longer to see if it'll get up," Chung suggested. "But if it doesn't then consider yourselves lucky. That's one less battle to worry about."

"I-I suppose." I perked my head up at the sound of pounding footsteps sounding from behind us-it was about time for Elsword and the others to catch up.

"You two did a really good job out there," Chung placed a hand on my shoulder-he did the same thing with Rena. "Remind me not to get you two mad."

I chuckled," thanks, Chung." I felt my face flush as the next words rolled off my tongue. "And...uh...you fought well, Rena."

She responded with silence. I wasn't expecting her to reply anyways; why would I after all the mean things she said? Instead of getting mad about it I sighed and shrugged her silence off, there was no point in getting mad. It's not like she'll return the feelings.

"You fought well too." She whispered softly.

I snapped my head toward her with jaw dropped. She had her head bowed and cheeks flushed-I could only guess she was feeling just as awkward and embarrassed as me, even if she couldn't comprehend her feelings.

"And thank you for the rescue, dem-I-I mean, Ara."

I swallowed; my throat dry as sandpaper. It was at that moment I felt the true weight of the bitter words and thoughts I had expressed earlier today come crashing down on me.


	68. 68

Elsword was_ very_ disappointed to hear he arrived to the battle too late, he even had both his swords charged up with the Wind Shard's power upon arrival. To make up for the lack of fighting Elsword and Raven both attacked the demon's body one last time to make sure it was truly dead. Once that was finished we continued our way further down the eerily hollow corridor. We reached the next set of stairs fairly quick and decided to call it a day-the next floor would be left for tomorrow's problem. Speka went back with several knights to get more troops in the secure the newly captured floor while the rest of us prepared for dinner.

We used the Fire Shard to heat up the food and water while the Wind Shard was used to clean up from debris and rocks from the recent fight. I found it hilarious that we were using two unimaginably deadly items to help clean up the place and cook some food.

Dinner went by in a flash and before I knew it we were preparing to sleep. My team chose to sleep closest to the next staircase, why we wanted to sleep near enemy borders was beyond me.

I kept to myself while everyone else prepared a space to rest. Besides having to rest on a stone ground, the worst part about tonight was how much of a third wheel I was. Eve and Raven whispered to each other about Amos' safety while settling themselves down, Speka was off assigning guard duty to different knights, Elsword and Aisha were already cuddling with each other, and Chung was too busy with Rena to even come say 'good night' to me.

"Rena, you should rest," I heard Chung whispering to Rena a few meters away from me. "We need all the strength we can get for tomorrow."

"Easy for you to say. At least you can still sleep." She answered flatly. "I can only recover from the lake back at the graveyard."

"I'm not letting you go running there in the middle of the night." He responded firmly. "That's too dangerous."

"I am strong enough to fight off the demons."

"But I don't want to lose you again." He choked on his words, Rena instantly went silent.

I rested my head on Yang's soft tummy and closed my eyes. For the first time I actually wanted to fall asleep, it was slightly better than overhearing Chung and Rena's private conversation.

"Fine, I will try to rest." She sighed, shuffling into a comfortable position.

"Good," I could already picture him smiling with relief at her answer. "I'll stay here and make sure nothing attacks you."

"Alright. Thank you, Chung." Once again her voice held no warmth toward him.

"Just let me do something real quick first. I'll get back with you as soon as I can."

"Take your time." She answered. "I will not be going anywhere soon."

I made sure to keep myself as still as possible at the sound of his approaching footsteps. I silently prayed for him to pass me without any suspicions, my heart skipped a beat once his footsteps stopped beside me.

"I know you're still awake," he whispered. I kept my eyes firmly shut and deepened my breathing, hoping he'll fall for my act. "Look I'm sorry about whatever I did to upset you. Can I at least get an insult or punch from you?"

I bit on my lower lip to hold back the grin wanting to form on my lips. It was just too easy to insult someone like him.

"Whatever," he sighed after a moment of silence. "I hope you'll be able to sleep tonight. See ya' tomorrow, Ara"

Without another word his footsteps retreated away from me and back to Rena. I cracked my eyes open once I was sure he left-I sighed and relaxed my tensed limbs.

While I was glad he left so quickly a part of me still yearned to speak with him. I wanted to spend more alone time with him, stay in his arms longer; I wanted to share that kiss with him again.

Turned to my side and buried my heated cheeks into Yang's warm fur. I squeezed my eyes shut again in hopes of forcing sleep back on me.

Chung is someone else's man. I reminded myself. Rena is his girlfriend and now she's back; who am I to take him away from her? I shouldn't interfere with something so personal, even if it does rip my heart apart every time I saw them.

* * *

I jolted awake early next morning to find everyone still asleep-well nearly everyone. The spot Eve and Raven had occupied was now empty along with Aisha's spot beside Elsword. Curious to see where they all went I got up and began my way down the silent hall-I made sure to walk on my toes while going past Rena and Chung as Rena was probably still awake.

Along the way I passed several guards who couldn't have paid any less attention to me. I continued down the hall, gingerly threading around various clumps of sleeping knights, until I saw three very familiar figures up ahead. I broke off into a light jog upon seeing them, but just as I was about to reach them Raven unsheathed his sword and pointed it at me. I came to a halt almost instantly and held both hands up.

"Don't hurt me," I whispered with eyes glued on the edge of his gleaming blade.

Raven sighed and sheathed his sword again," sorry." He turned his back on me once more. "You shouldn't have ran up to us."

"Sorry," I said, squeezing in between him and Aisha. "What are you guys all doing up so late?"

"We couldn't sleep," Raven answered with a sigh. "Eve and I were too worried about Amos to get a proper rest."

"And I couldn't sleep well on the ground, so I decided to kill some time by taking a walk." Aisha answered next with a yawn. "We bumped into each other at some point and started talking."

"I hope Amos did not get sick," Eve piped in quietly. "Maybe it was a mistake to leave him behind."

"Oh calm down, Eve." Aisha laughed. "Amos won't suddenly get sick because you weren't there, quit being so paranoid."

"You do not understand, Aisha." Eve answered almost instantly. "As a parent you will always fear for your child, especially when they are not by your side."

"Wow, you're already referring to Amos as your kid." Aisha's response made Raven chuckle.

"Doesn't that mean you two are the happily married couple?" I piped in with a light laugh.

"Hmm I don't see it," Aisha squinted her eyes at them. "I guess I can sort of see how those two would work out."

"Yeah, keep talking like we are not here." Eve poked her head out from beside Raven and narrowed her eyes. "You are lucky I cannot think of something embarrassing to taunt you with."

"You'll understand when you have a kid one day, Aisha." Raven quickly changed the subject. "Then we'll see who's being paranoid."

"I wonder how her children will turn out with Elsword's genes." Eve blurted.

Even in the dim purple light I could still see Aisha's cheeks flushing with a deep hue," w-wow, don't get any crazy ideas, Eve. T-that's going a bit too far."

"I think you just found something to embarrass her with." Raven nudged Eve's arm and winked. "Time for some sweet payback."

"O-okay, I'm sorry for teasing you two. N-now can you stop talking about me having kids with Els?" She stammered.

Everyone shared a light hearted laugh at her haste response.

"W-why don't you tease Ara about having kids with someone? S-she poked fun at you as much as me." She mumbled, pushing a strand of loose purple hair behind her ear.

"Traitor," I punched Aisha on the arm, she stuck out her tongue in response. "Besides you influenced me to do it."

"I would tease her but I cannot think of a male to pair her with." Eve explained. Her comment instantly made my mind jump back to Chung and Rena's relationship, a familiar pain returned to my chest from the simple thought.

"I mean Chung would be perfect for her," Aisha pointed out softly. "But now with Rena back..."

"Rena..." Raven ran his hand through his hair. "Man, I thought her return would make me happy, but I don't know anymore."

Now that's something I wasn't expecting to hear. I thought everyone was psyched to have her back.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm still thrilled to see her again." He quickly added, as if he could read my thought. "But it feels wrong to have her back like this. She isn't even the same Rena anymore."

Aisha sighed and bowed her head," I know what you mean. I actually miss her constant nagging about my hair being messy or my clothes being dirty."

"Her vegetarian meals were also quite interesting." Eve added with a small laugh. "Although I could never get used to her home-made tofu...if you could even call it that."

"It's really a shame you never knew her, Ara." Raven rolled his misty eyes up to the dark ceiling. "S-she would've dragged you out to shop the first day you came."

"She probably would've tried to drag me along as well." Aisha added with a light giggle.

"And you would have heard Aisha's endless complaints about buying more dresses." Eve laughed-Raven and Aisha also chuckled along.

"Wow, it sounds like we would've been friends." I admitted truthfully. Maybe we would've been the ultimate duo in battle, we did have perfect coordination during the fight today.

"I bet you two would've made great friends." Aisha sniffled. "I-I'm sorry if she appears cold and insensitive now. S-she wasn't like this when she was alive."

"I'm so sorry for your guy's loss." I said softly. Once again the guilt of my bitter words from earlier began brewing up from the back of my mind, like lava seeping out from the confides of the Earth's cracks.

While it was warming to hear all these good things about Rena, I still wasn't a big fan of her. It was hard for me to think of nice things to say.

"Sorry to bring the mood down," Raven wiped his eyes with the back of his hands-his hand glistened under the purple light upon leaving contact with his eyes. "We just can't stop talking about her lately."

"I understand." If we started talking about my past then the mood would be at rock bottom by now.

"So, Ara, what are you doing up so late?" Eve asked-I held myself back from cursing at her question.

"Uh..." I felt Aisha place a hand on my shoulder.

My heart began racing like the night I told Aisha and Speka, but this time I wasn't as immobilized from the question. This time I had Aisha with me, someone who knew the story and still kept treating me the same way.

"If it's personal we understand." Raven said after a moment of silence. "We know some things can't just be said out loud."

"T-thanks," I sighed, feeling the weight lift from my chest. "When the time is right I'll tell. I promise I will."

"Just don't push yourself into doing it," Aisha whispered, giving my shoulder a tight squeeze. "Take your time."

"I know," despite the burning in my eyes I still found a way to smile. "But don't worry too much about it. I'm much stronger knowing that you and Speka will also be there to support me."

* * *

We prepared breakfast in the same fashion as last night. Once breakfast was finished everyone began warming up for the day's fight while Elsword and Speka did a quick supply check, they wanted to make sure we'd walk into the next battle as prepared as we could be. It didn't take long for the two to return from their early morning task.

"Looks like everyone has the right potions and supplies for today." Elsword said with a loud yawn. "We'll be heading out shortly."

"Ooh look who's starting to sound mature and professional." Aisha teased while handing him his backpack.

"I'm always professional and mature," he slipped on the bag with a prideful grin on his face. "But thank you for acknowledging it, Aisha."

"You're only professional at sleeping," she grinned as his expression dropped in response. "And you're far from being mature."

"Hey, you shouldn't be complaining since you chose me anyways," Elsword snaked his arm around her shoulders.

"That gives me all the right to complain. You're messy, you always leave the toilet seat up, and-" Elsword cut her off with a kiss on the lip-I quickly bowed my head down to give them some privacy.

"But I sure know how to shut you up." He whispered.

Sometimes having enhanced senses was a curse.

"It is really weird seeing them like that." Rena's voice sounded beside me. I sheepishly glanced to my side to see Rena and Chung standing beside me.

Rena's eye landed on me for a brief second before snapping elsewhere.

"You'll get used." Chung's gaze wandered toward me. I held my breath as our eyes made contact, I dropped my gaze almost instantly.

"Ara, how did you sleep last night?" Chung asked softly.

"It was alright." I shrugged with eyes still glued to the ground.

"Was it now?" Of course he wouldn't believe me.

"Y-yeah," I darted my eyes toward the open stone staircase.

It would've been better if you were beside me when I woke up though. I thought, the aching my my chest intensified. At least I got to spend some time with Aisha, Raven, and Eve. Things weren't that bad in the end.

"Alright, gross lovebirds." Speka pushed through Aisha and Elsword without a moment of hesitation. "We better get moving before cobwebs start growing on us."

I took that as a queue to hop onto Yang's back.

"Aww, you're no fun." Aisha responded with a toothy grin.

"And you're having too much fun." Speka countered. "You and your man-servant can go make out after we're done with our job."

"I'm not her man-servant." Elsword responded while gesturing everyone to follow him into the next staircase. "I'm her prince in shining armour."

"More like flabs in rusted armour." Speka snorted.

Yesterday we walked up the foreign stone steps with doubt and fear dragging our feet down, today we walked into the new territory with confidence as our newly spread wings. Knights behind us chatted with their friends, quietly of course, while others made small talk with strangers beside them. While everyone was speaking in hushed voices their collective voices added up into one incoherent noise; however, no one was concerned with this factor.

I chatted away with Aisha while Speka continued to scoff at Elsword inability to care for her sister. It was nearly impossible to keep myself from laughing from the many small jokes thrown around in our conversation.

I knew we were here to reclaim the temple from dangerous demons, but it was easy to be swept up in the light hearted mood. It actually felt like we were all just here for a fun expedition.

It felt like mere minutes passed before we reached the next floor, taking the light hearted mood away almost instant.

When I first stepped foot into the rectangular room I noticed how similar it looked to a church. Pillars sat parallel from one another, each holding an orange flame near its base. Much of the stone floors were cracked, allowing a cyan light to seep from between the cracks. An array of yellow, red, purple, and green light bounced onto the worn stone walls and floors from a stained window at the end of the room. Each unique shade of light blessing the darkened stones with its colour.

"Wow," Aisha said once she got a good look at the place. "This looks kinda pretty."

"Eh, could use more furniture and light." Elsword's eyes wandered lazily around the small space. "These demons should stop using torches, they provide terrible lighting."

"I think it looks great for practising Dark Magic." Speka's eyes gleamed at the worn stone arch stretched under the stained window. Beneath the stone arch was an altar, its worn surface held a stone statue of a praying woman-her veil covering much of her body, like a protective shell.

We trudged into the new space with awe, once again forgetting the reason we came into the temple in the first place.

"E-Elsword," Rena piped in shakily from behind. Everyone glanced back to meet her widened eyes. "W-we should go as soon as possible."

Despite not being able to comprehend emotions, Rena looked like she just saw a ghost. Her shoulders were tensed, her hands trembled, and her face was pale as snow. Suddenly seeing her change from a calm demeanour to this made my gut wrench.

"Rena," Chung wrapped his arm around her. "You alright?"

"I-I don't know," she ran a hand through her green hair. "S-suddenly I have t-this really strong urge to run. I-is this what you call fear?"

_Ara, behind you. _Eun suddenly warned.

I snapped my attention back to the front and instantly pointed my spear at the blue demon crawling toward us. Elsword and the others quickly took note of its presence and turned themselves around to face it. The demon crawled slowly toward us, wheezing and groaning with every tiny movement it made-its legs dragged limply behind it, like sacks of flour.

"It doesn't look harmful." Aisha said, lowering her staff.

"It kinda looks cute." Speka tilted her head at the small demon. "If it doesn't hurt maybe I should take it home as a pet."

"That's an ugly pet." That earned Elsword a bash on the head from Speka's staff.

Before any of us could debate on the little demon's fate a single green arrow flew past us and embedded itself in its head. The demon squealed from the attack, its sound mimicking that of a pig, just before thumping limply onto the stone ground-I clenched my teeth at the abrupt assault.

Yes, I knew the demon could've just been tricking us with its small appearance but that didn't give Rena an excuse to shoot without knowing its full intentions. Maybe it was like Yang, maybe it was actually harmless.

Just as I was about to turn around and scold her for killing it the demon's body began to peel and break, like skinning the broken shell of a boiled egg. The pieces that broke off the demon burst into an array of blue lights before fading into the air. This process continued until there was nothing left to support the existence of that demon, there wasn't even a speck of dust left from its body.

A million thoughts ran through my mind at once, but none of them could conjure up a logical explanation for its disappearance.

Elsword cursed under his breath," what just happened?" His eyes still glued on the empty space the demon once occupied.

"This is impossible," Eve piped in shortly. "How can something just disappear without a trace?"

"Impressive. I didn't think she could pick out my servant so easily." A voice sounded ahead. Shot my head up and narrowed my eyes at the two dark spots forming just in front of the altar.

Everyone unsheathed their weapons as two figures rose up from the dark spots. One of which was the floating torso we encountered before, the other was a demon veiled in a white cloak with red lining. The Amethyst clapped his metal hands together, almost instantly the two dark spots underneath them vanished.

"You," Aisha glowered. She pulled out the Fire Shard from her pocket and held it against her staff, almost instantly the weapon was engulfed with flames. "What did you do to Rena?"

"That's right, this creep knows necromancy." Chung slammed his cannon on the ground and rushed to front lines with us.

"Necromancy?" Rena repeated, her voice no longer trembling. "Chung, what's going on?"

The Amethyst howled with laughter while the new demon beside it smirked. I grit my teeth at the sound of his hoarse cackle.

"Silly humans, you should be on your knees thanking me." The Amethyst said in between laughter. " It was thanks to my magic that your friend is standing here right now."

"That does not explain what you did to her." Eve clenched her fists-Raven took a protective step in front of her and pointed his blade at the enemies.

"Can you really blame my master for taking her emotions? Is it wrong to take her painful memories away?" The new demon spoke in raspy voice. "Wouldn't it put her through more pain if she were to feel the pain of living as an observer? An outsider to your ongoing lives?"

"Save your breath, Dutor." The Amethyst clapped Dutor's back with a metallic hand. "The living are selfish. They can never accept new concepts."

"Then let the dead speak for herself." Rena bravely trudged ahead of the front lines and drew her bow-Elsword silently hissed at her to step back. "I would rather feel pain than nothing at all. If you refuse to return my memories and emotions I will kill you." She said, ignoring Elsword's order.

"Those are dangerous words, Rena." Dutor stretched out his hand, a staff, with a blue orb encased in wooden tendrils, materialized in his open palm. "We brought you back into this world and we can just as easily take you out. Your time here is quite literally in our hands."

"I am not afraid," a blazing green aura engulfed Rena's body.

She aimed the bow at Dutor and fired five green arrows-the summoned arrows aligned themselves into a fan shape. Dutor quickly swiped his staff horizontally, summoning out a line of purple gaseous spirits. Each of the arrows pierced the summoned ghost before breaking into green particles-the ghosts shrieked from the hit and melted into the air.

"Amethyst, let me take them on." Dutor raised his staff into the air, a circle of purple ghosts rose around them like a barriar. "They have already gone far enough."

"These humans are strong," Amethyst warned, clasping his metallic hands together. "But our boss would be quiet pleased if you're able to take them down."

"I'll be sure not to lose." Dutor pointed his staff at us, the purple ghosts surrounding them rushed toward us.

"This is too easy," Aisha raised her flaming staff into the air. With a flash of crimson red light a ray of fire shot out of the staff. It thread itself toward each ghost, like a snake slithering toward its fleeing prey, incinerating the targets almost immediately after contact. The roaring orange flame broke into flying amber sparks once all the ghosts were defeated.

"Wow! You are on fire today, Aisha." Elsword laughed-I also found myself smiling at his joke.

"So that's the power of the Fire Shard," Dutor pointed his staff directly at Aisha. Elswords smile was quickly dropped to a frown from the simple gesture. He tightened his grip on his swords and took a step forward. "I wonder how it can fair against an army of ghosts." Dutor added calmly.

The blue orb at the end of Dutor's staff flashed with a blue light, sending a trembling pulse through the room. In an instant purple ghosts began seeping into the battlefield, through the cracks in the floor, behind pillars, and behind walls. It didn't take long for us to be completely surrounded by those things. I cursed under my breath and backed Yang away from the closing wall ghosts, everyone mutely mimicked my actions-everyone but Rena.

Rena stayed firm on her ground and drew her bow again, ignoring the many purple ghosts surrounding her, she aimed her shot at Dutor.

"Rena, we should really help eliminate some of ghosts first," Elsword urged, but it didn't seem like his words had any meaning to her.

"I suspect that demon will only summon more ghosts," she released three arrows-three ghosts rushed in front of the attack and took the shot for Dutor. Rena narrowed her eyes and drew the bow again. "We should all be fighting that demon, Elsword."

"We can't all fight Dutor." Chung piped in-slamming his cannon down on a ghost seeping in from just under his feet. "Someone has to take care of these ghosts."

"Fine," her huffed. "If you guys won't help me then I'll defeat him myself." She released three more arrows, once again the ghosts came to block her path.

Rena took a sharp breath in at the failed attack before taking off into a sprint toward her target. Elsword cursed loudly in response," I want Aisha, Eve, and Raven to help me with these demons. Everyone else go after Rena and help her!" He ordered.

"I'll send my strongest out to help her as well," Speka piped in.

I motioned Yang toward Dutor. We carefully thread through the clutter of fighting knights and ghosts. I could briefly make out the match between Rena and Dutor amongst the fighting and the gaseous ghosts . Rena was launching an endless amount of kicks at the demon, but none of her attacks could reach the swiftly moving necromancer. Amethyst stood on the side lines watching the fighting, with hands still clasped together.

"Yang, let's hurry," I urged the Phoru.

Yang's belly rumbled just as it blew out a breath of fire, the attack melted through the remaining ghosts blocking our path and nearly hit Dutor. Once our path was clear I leaped off of Yang and landed beside Rena.

"Quick Thrust!" I lunged my spear forward, but before my blade could make contact the Dutor jumped back.

Rena quickly drew back on her bow and released a blue arrow. The Dutor tried to leap away from the arrow once again but it proved to be too late. The arrow embedded itself into its leg and almost instantly a sheet of ice grew over the entire leg.

"Let me help with that," Aisha piped in from behind. A path of razor sharp icicles snaked past me and toward the demon's only free leg, upon contact the ice wrapped itself around the target.

With our enemy finally immobilized I took this chance to attack again," Rock Smash!" I charged into the demon, nearly knocking it out of its frozen restraints. While I was still close I launched a second attack," Tiger Claw!" I swiped my hands across its face.

Before I could link another attack the orb at the end of its staff began to glow. I immediately jumped back, barely dodging the newly summoned ghost charging at the spot I once was.

_That was a good attack, Ara. _

A single blue missile zipped above me and collided into the newly released ghost, instantly eliminating it from our fight with Dutor. With the ghost now eliminated and the Dutor still immobilized, Rena took her chance to fight back. She kicked the demon in the face before drawing her bow again.

"This is what you get for messing with me." She released a line of red arrows. The Dutor clenched its teeth as the arrows launched into its chest, but the attack didn't stop there. Rena kept drawing her bow back and released more red arrows, each one hitting the exact same spot as the last.

The Feita archers, sent by Speka to help us, quickly encircled the Dutor and began shooting like Rena. The remaining knights sent to help stayed back with me and the others."

"That's our Rena!" Aisha cheered. "A pretty but deadly archer."

"I guess she doesn't need any more help." I lowered my spear and frowned. Here I thought we would have another exciting fight again.

"You did great out there too," Chung joined beside me. "Good job." He patted my head-my cheeks warmed instantly from his compliment. At the corner of my eye I could see Aisha smiling to herself.

"T-thanks," I smiled.

"But don't celebrate so soon." He pointed at the Amethyst standing at the sidelines, still watching the ongoing battle. Even if he had no eyes I couldn't help but feel he was observing me-the simple thought made the hairs at the back of my neck rise.

"What do we do about that?" I asked in a light whisper.

"We just hope we won't have to deal with the two of them." He answered.

"That sounds rea-" I didn't get a chance to finish before the battle grounds was filled with screams. Before I could comprehend what was happening Chung clasped his hand over my mouth and nose.

"Don't breathe it in-" he fell silent as soon as a dark cloud blasted into our faces-I halted my breathing despite the hand covering my nose and mouth.

I drew closer to him at the blanket of darkness blinding our sights, not even my heightened senses could make out a single object in the black cloud.

"Hold on, everyone!" Elsword shouted from behind. With a blink of an eye the black fume engulfing us was lifted with a blast of air-all thanks to Elsword. The dark smog swirled incoherently in the ceiling along with the moving air. I felt Chung relax before taking his hand off my face.

Once the dark fog was finally lifted we could clearly see all the archers down on the floor-Rena was the only one who managed to keep herself up on her knees. I made a quick scan around us, many of the knights were also down. Only those who saw the fume in time remained standing-Aisha and Yang were one of the lucky few who caught the attack on time.

"Aisha," Elsword rushed by her side, his face was drained of colour. "A-are you okay?"

"Yeah," she coughed into her sleeve. "I only inhaled a small amount, but I'll be fine. How many ghosts are left?"

"Most of them are down," he said, averting his attention to Dutor. Thankfully the demon was still encased in ice. "Only a few knights are staying behind to take care of the rest-"

The room echoed with Dutor's daunting laugh. Elsword cut his conversation with Aisha short and pinpointed his attention back on Dutor, Chung and I did the same thing.

"You think you can win against me, little soul?" Dutor grabbed Rena by the hair and lifted her up. She tensed but didn't fight back. "Let me show you what true pain feels like."

Chung cursed before running toward them. With a flash of purple light another purple ghost was summoned and charged toward him. He swung his weapon down on it, easily taking it down with that single hit.

He aimed his cannon toward Dutor," Impact Detonation!" Three shining blue orbs shot out and toward the demon. While he was successful at freeing Rena from Dutor's grip he consequently freed the ice binding the demon still. Dutor flew back as a result and collided into the stone wall.

Chung rushed to Rena's side and scooped her up into his arms," let us do the fighting now, Rena." He furrowed his brows. "You've done more than enough."

"I-I need my memories back," she attempted to squirm out of his grip, but she was too weak to even budge from her spot.

"I know," he turned his back on the enemy and began his way toward me again. "You need to rest. Let us get them back for you."

"That demon is moving again!" Elsword warned.

I pried my attention away from them and locked eyes on Dutor. Using its staff as a support, it helped itself up, with legs trembling underneath.

"We're nearly done with this fight." I allowed Eun's power to burst from within me. "Might as well finish this."

I took a quick glance at Amethyst, he was still at the same spot. As much as his presence bothered me I was still grateful he didn't join in the fight. I held my gaze on the strange necromancer for a second longer before returning my attention to Dutor.

Dutor spat on the ground and grinded its teeth," you will pay for what you did to me." The blue orb on its staff glimmered with light once again.

Chung's eyes widened at the sound of its voice, but before he could react a line of newly summoned ghosts were already rushing toward him. I was ready to jump in and protect when Oberon and Yang leaped in to counterattack, with a burst of flames and a single swipe of a sword the ghosts were eliminated. I felt a smile crawl on my lips knowing he was alright.

"Showing you back to an enemy is dangerous." Eve piped in. She snapped her fingers together, in an instant Oberon vanished with a flash of light.

"Thanks, Eve." Chung turned himself around to face his attacker once more. "I was being careless."

"We've finally got this loser cornered," Speka began walking toward Dutor with her staff resting on her shoulder. "Let's end this quickly so we can capture another floor before the day ends."

"Let me help too-" Rena was abruptly cut off with a heavy cough.

"No, you've already done enough for us today." Chung doubled back a few meters before gently laying her down on the ground. "Just rest here, alright? We'll finish the fight for you."

"Chung..." Rena cupped his face into her trembling hand. "Please...stay safe."

I huffed at her gesture and forced my eyes away from them.

"Alright, team, let's end this battle." Elsword broke off into a sprint toward Dutor. Almost everyone followed behind him, mages stayed in their spot and launched various magical attacks at the demon.

Dutor used its arms to shield itself against the oncoming magical spells which gave the rest of us an advantage. I pointed my blade toward the demon and prepared to pierce through its body.

Dutor cursed and waved his staff, summoning out two rows of ghosts toward us, but this time his ghosts were slower. We sliced through his only line of defence with ease and proceeded toward him.

"Enough!" Amethyst's voice boomed.

The ground beneath us trembled, before we could comprehend what was happening an unknown force hit us square on the head. I quickly lost balance on my feet and fell on my stomach-weapons clanged against the stone floor throughout the battle field as knights dropped one by one from the attack.

The room settled into a still and eerie silence once the attack had run its course. I attempted to help myself up but my arms and legs felt unusually weak, breathing was even a bit of an issue.

"Dutor, I told you these knights were dangerous." Amethyst's voice was much louder now. I perked my head up to get a better look at Dutor, he was now in the company of Amethyst.

"Sorry," Dutor bowed its head. "I failed to eliminate them."

"It's fine. You did wonderful out there." Amethyst rubbed Dutor's head. "I will handle it from here. They won't be able to stand against what I'll throw in."

I, along with many others, took this as a queue to stand back up. The fight was far from over, especially now that we've got to face an enemy with full energy. I fought against my trembling legs and got up on my feet. I wiped a bead of sweat off the side of my cheek and pointed my spear at the enemies.

"Look who finally decided to join the party." Elsword shakily stood back up in front of me, both his swords now encased with a cyan light. "About time your friend came to join us."

I tensed as the Amethyst raised a single hand up in the air," you have no idea who you're up against, lad." A dark purple orb formed on the palm of the raised hand. "I wanna see how you'll talk after learnin' the truth."

"The truth?" I heard Eve quote from behind.

If the Amethyst had a face I imagined he would be smiling wickedly at her comment," yes, the truth is quite fascinating. Let me show you the tip of the ice berg, humans."

The light in his palm brightened. Everyone backed away, probably all expecting some crazy ghost to pop up from his hands, but nothing happened. The orb disappeared as quickly as it appeared, a heavy silence accompanied the orb's leaving. While I was glad I could finally relax my shoulders, I didn't allow myself to lower my weapon. As long as the enemy was still standing I couldn't let my guard down.

"So your super crazy power is a glowing purple ball?" Elsword laughed and lowered his swords but the cyan light remained. "That's pretty lame, dude."

While his light-hearted comment managed to make me smile the happy mood didn't last for long. An ear piercing scream ripped through the silence, my smile fell into a frown in that instant.

"Sis!" Speka abandoned her target and ran back to Aisha-I followed after her.

We ran through the crowd of knights, jumping over fallen comrades and threading between the crowd to reach Aisha. When we finally escaped the group we were welcomed by a bone chilling scene.

Aisha was backed in a corner with her flaming staff pointed shakily at her target Rena. Rena aimed her bow at Aisha and drew back, Aisha's eyes welled with tears at the incoming attack.

"Rena, snap out of it!" She pleaded, her staff glowed with red as she prepared to counter attack.

"Let my sister go!" Speka summoned out a trail of fireballs toward Rena.

The elf took quick notice of her attack. She side stepped to avoid the flaming attack and redirected her aim at Speka, then she released the arrow.

Speka cursed and waved her staff upwards, summoning out a dark purple ball toward the green arrow. The two attacks clashed, successfully neutralizing each other before breaking into purple and green particles. A part of me wanted to slice her apart for attacking Aisha but another warned me not to jump to violence so quick. She was still a friend to the others and I couldn't just raise my weapon against her so casually.

I grit my teeth and held myself back from attacking.

"What did you do to her?" Chung asked from somewhere in the crowd-I could already imagine his face red from anger.

"I am a necromancer, lad. My specialty is using the dead to do my fights." The Amethyst answered nonchalantly. "That should be of no surprise."

"In other words you are controlling our friend." Eve piped in next, anger burned through her voice like a wildfire. "I cannot allow that."

I pulled my attention away from the Eve and the others as a green arrow flew toward me. I quickly stepped to the side, her green arrow skimming against my sleeve along the way. I narrowed my eyes at her while she stared at me with a blank expression.

"W-we can't hurt her." Aisha pulled herself off the wall, her burning staff shaking in her hands. "She's not our enemy."

"But she'll hurt us if we don't do anything." Speka jumped to the side to avoid another arrow.

The room shook under the unified roar of the knights, their footsteps stomping as one toward the enemy. I took a quick glance back and saw various ghosts charging into the crowd, knocking out more knights than Dutor had-the Amethyst was effortlessly summoning out ghosts from the palm of his hands into the crowd.

"What are we supposed to do?" I swiftly swiped my spear at the incoming dual arrows, my blade cutting each one in half.

"I-I don't know." Aisha ran a hand through her hair.

"We need to do something," Speka summoned a line of fireballs at her, Rena dodged each one with ease.

"Maybe we should pin her down-" I was cut off mid sentence by the shattering of glass.

The knights and ghosts in the room seemed to freeze in place at the abrupt sound-even Rena had stopped attacking. I felt my heart drop at the intense magic filling the room, both sisters' faces drained of colour at its sudden presence.

"Amethyst, you were told not to fight." A familiar voice sounded from behind, I felt cold shivers run down my spine. I heard my blood pounding in my ears and felt my heart hammering with merciless force against my chest, like a caged animal clawing at its confides for freedom.

"T-that's the Nature Shard." Aisha pointed out weakly-the flames burning on her staff weakened.

I swallowed down the lump in my throat and turned my on heels. Floating in the middle of the room was a man with long silver hair with two horns growing from either sides of his head, his skin was dark grey, and eyes red as blood. In his hand he held a glowing green object, which I could only assume to be the Nature Shard.

"These humans are sure a pest." He waved his free hand into the crowd of knights. In an instant all our standing allies and friends were pushed back with a wave of darkness-the ghosts caught up in the attack disappeared into thin air. The statue of the praying woman cracked under the force and trembled on her spot from the many knights colliding into the alter. All of our allies groaned on the ground, unable to recover to their feet after the attack.

"Captain Ran." Amethyst greeted quietly. "I-I apologize, we greatly underestimated our enemies."

The man named Ran scoffed," I don't understand how our Master sees potential in you two." His blood red eyes trailed onto us, I felt every fibre of freeze at his gaze-I swore I saw something spark in those cold red eyes.

_Ara, be careful of this man. _Eun growled. _I remember his face from the past. _

"Drop the puppet and let's go." Ran turned his attention back to Amethyst.

"Y-yes, sir." Amethyst snapped his fingers together.

"Rena," Aisha yelped-something thumped on the ground behind me.

I wanted to check if Rena was okay but I couldn't keep my eyes off Ran. The sound of his voice rung so warmly in my ears, despite the coldness of his words. I knew that voice, it was just a bit deeper than the one I heard as a kid.

Ran raised his free hand up, lifting both the Amethyst and Dutor up by his side. He glanced over at us again, those familiar red eyes gazing into mine. I felt my spear drop slip out my ice cold fingers, the weapon clanged loudly onto the stone ground. Tears blurred my vision but it wasn't enough to erase the familiar face staring back at me.

"Ara," one of the sisters called out to me. "W-what's going on? D-do you know that guy?"

I opened my mouth to speak but I could only manage a small squeak. I swallowed, my throat dry as sand paper, and tried again,"b-brother..." I whispered. "T-that's A-Aren."

"What?!" One of the sister's responded in a whisper-scream. "H-how? Are you sure?"

I bobbed my head. I knew Aren's voice like the back of my hand, and despite his new appearance I could still see the brother I've been searching for all these years.

One of them cursed under their breath.

"Ran, is something wrong?" Amethyst asked quietly.

Aren narrowed his eyes at me," I recognize that fox." He aimed the glowing green Shard toward me. I knew I had to move away but my legs wouldn't respond.

"I-it's me." I shakily reached up to my hairpin and wrapped my clammy fingers around it. "I-it's me, b-brother. I-I'm Ara." I shakily slid the hairpin out from its place.

_Ara, what are you-_

All of Eun's energy left my body the moment I allowed the hairpin to drop from my hand. It was difficult to stand on my own two feet without Eun, for a brief second it felt like gravity had strengthened but I somehow managed to keep my grounds.

"S-see?" I forced on a quivering smile. "I-I'm Ara. I-I just looked a bit different, b-brother, but I'm still me." Aren simply arched his brow at my response.

The sisters behind me urged me to move aside but their voices felt so far away to me, it was like they were screaming at me from a tunnel. I bit back the tears from Aren's lack of response but I still didn't move from my spot, partially because I believed he would recognize me at the last second and [partially because my legs refused to do as I said.

Aren's eyes hardened as malicious smirk stretched on his face. "Die." He said flatly.

The Shard in Aren's hand pulsated with life and shot out a beam of green light directly at me.

I wanted to move, but I couldn't. I wanted so desperately to scream at myself to wake up from this terrible nightmare, but no matter what I did I couldn't jolt myself awake. I felt every little moment of my life flash before my eyes, all the good and bad times mixing together as one big slideshow in my head-allowing me to live through those moments one last time. I sucked in a breath of air and braced myself for the impact.

I was suddenly pushed off my feet by someone from the side. Everything seemed to go at slow motion as I fell helplessly onto the stone ground and a scream ripped through the entire battlefield like a roar of thunder.

"Aisha!" I heard Elsword's voice booming from a distance.

It took me an extra second to register the reason I was suddenly on the ground and why so many of my friends were screaming at Aisha.

I felt my world come crashing down as the green beam shot into Aisha's body. Her eyes widened at the impact, and her cheeks puffed up right before she spat out blood. The hand holding onto the Fire Shard and her staff relaxed, allowing both item to drop onto the stone ground-the Fire Shard; however, kept rolling away.

It felt like an eternity passed before the beam hitting Aisha disappeared. I didn't hesitate for a second to catch her when she fell forward. I cradled her in my shaking arms. I felt every fibre of my being tremble at the dying friend in my arms, I couldn't do anything but shake as Aisha laid motionless in my arms-I felt my mind slowly falling numb to all emotions, good or bad.

"Ah, I thought that mage had something important." Aren went on casually.

I glanced over to the side to see a blurred image of Aren raising his free hand again, this time lifting the Fire Shard up into his possession.

"Come..fight..me!" Elsword shouted somewhere in the crowd. "I'm gonna...kill you!"

"Now that would be entertaining to see." Aren answered calmly, with eyes locked on the new Shard sitting in his once free hand. "Unfortunately I cannot afford to postpone my return home any longer, but I will be sure to kill you the next time we meet."

"Come and..fight..coward!" Elsword's shouts grew louder. I wanted to cover my ears from his cries but I knew there was nothing I could do to escape this moment-just like back then.

Aren ignored Elsword and began his exit out the shattered window, with both the Fire and Nature Shard glowing brightly in his hands. I shakily turned my attention back on Aisha. Her cheeks were white as snow, two drying streaks of red rested on both sides of her mouth.

"S-sis," Speka walked shakily toward us, she fell to her knees before she could reach us fully. "A-are you there?"

Aisha weakly cracked open her purple eyes, she smiled weakly upon seeing Speka," sorry, s-sis, looks l-like I'm g-going to see..grandpa early."

"Don't say things like that, d-dummy." Speka broke into tears, but she didn't bother wiping them dry. "W-we still have a c-chance to save you. Y-you're still alive..."

"Not..for long." She dropped the grin and sniffled. "I know...how the Nature Shard...works. At most...the poison will keep me...around for another day."

Speka opened her mouth to speak but she broke into sobs before she got a chance to say anything. She fell onto the ground, her body trembling with each painful sob she let out.

"Aisha..." My voice wheezed out weakly. "Why? W-why did you save me?"

"I-I promised I'd...help you reunite with Aren." She glanced up at me with misty purple eyes and smiled once more, the tears only came out harder at the simple gesture. "How can you...unite with him...if you're dead?"

"But n-now you're..." I bit back the word wanting to escape my lips.

"I'm happy...though." She answered softly. "I've got..great friends...a goofy boyfriend...and my sister is back. But you? You've still...got a long way to go, Ara."

I couldn't stop shaking as her eye lids began to fall, the smile many of us loved so much gradually dropping from her lips.

"Watch over...everyone for me, okay? I'll haunt...you if you don't..." Her voice grew quieter and quieter. It became harder to breathe, and the numbness which had overtaken my mind was now starting to spread through my entire body. "Thank you...for so many good memories...tell everyone I'll be seeing them...on the other side."

****Will Aisha defy all odds and survive; or will she inevitably fall into the hands of Death? That is the real question.****


	69. 69

**The final eight chapters (nine if you include the author's note at the end) are coming out today! I have a lot of editing to do but I'm also pumped to present the final chapters of this "book". Keep your eyes peeled for notifications because these chapters will be released all throughout the day. Happy reading everyone! :)**

When I first started training I often got into fights with Aren. Sometimes it was to show off the little strength I had, other times it was to get him back for stealing my toys. Whenever we fought for a bad reason, such as stealing toys or food, Mother would spank us both with a broom stick before forcing us to clean the entire house. While that often fuelled the anger burning between us, it taught us to work together.

No matter how mad I was at Aren for stealing my favourite plushy or how frustrated I grew when he poked fun of me in front of my friends,I never had the thought of killing him. He was my brother and I loved him.

Now it wasn't just a simple fight between two siblings. My brother was an enemy, a threat to other people's lives. As a Red Knight it was my responsibility to kill him and protect the innocent, but as I sister I couldn't conjure up the strength to turn my blade against him.

How could I begin to explain that to my friends? How would they accept it after the tragedy that kidnapped our beloved friend?

We returned to the base as soon as possible, carrying all our injured down the tower and across the plains. Along the way Elsword didn't say a word to me, Speka could hardly look at me, and the rest of my team seemed to avoid me. I couldn't blame them. In their eyes I stood still in the face of danger while Aisha heroically saved me-I was the villain.

When we arrived to the base Aisha was immediately rushed into Amos' tent for treatment, Rena was brought to the lake in the graveyard by Chung, and everyone else went for a quick checkup. I didn't bother joining them for the check up, it hurt too much to know I escaped with minor injuries while Aisha was knocking on Death's door.

So here I was, sitting in the outskirts of the busy base alone, with only Eun's angry scoldings and my own thoughts to accompany me.

_I still do not understand why you threw me away. _Eun snapped for the fifth time. _What would have happened if Aisha did not save you?_

"Then she would still be here," tears burned my eyes once those words slipped off my tongue. I cursed and buried my face in my hands.

_She is not dead yet. Aisha was still breathing when we arrived._

"But she will die." I whispered, my hands trembled at that simple thought. "A-and it's all m-my fault."

_Ara-_

"W-what if that demon wasn't Aren?" I went on, every passing thought sapping more energy out of my cold shaking body. "W-what if I-I mistakened him f-for my brother?"

I swallowed down the remaining contents of my stomach," E-Eun, w-what if Aisha died in v-vain?"

_Your friend is not dead yet._

"What if she does?!" I snapped my head up, glaring at the empty green mass stretching ahead of me. "W-what if she did die? How am I supposed to m-make it up to Elsword? H-how can I live with myself anymore?"

_Then it is a mistake you must own up to. Complaining and crying will not fix things._

"It's what I-I do best, Eun." I bowed my head, droplets of tears slid off my face and onto the grass. "A-all I can do is cry and complain..."

The air around me thickened at the presence of a familiar bone-chilling aura-it seemed to radiate with more strength this time. I didn't bother looking up to see if it as Scarlet as I knew it was her. I squeezed my burning eyes shut at the sound of the shifting grass-silence filled its place shortly.

"Ara?" Scarlet's soft voice sounded. "Are you okay?" I heard her shifting on the spot. I could only assume she was taking a seat in front of me,

I didn't reply. Instead I kept my eyes shut and head bowed. She sighed and wrapped an arm around me, her warmth enveloped me like a mother's arms.

"What are you-" I broke into trembling sobs before I could finish my sentence.

"Let it all out," she whispered, rubbing my back. "There's nothing worse than keeping the bad feelings in."

"No, y-you're wrong." I sniffled. "Losing a f-friend is the worse."

"Oh...so that's what's wrong..." her soft hand stopped its movement on my back. "I...understand. It sucks the most when you think of all the things you could've done to keep them around."

It was strange how Scarlet understood the pain of losing a friend, I didn't expect her to know such a torture considering how isolated she's been, but I didn't care. All that mattered was someone understood. I was happy someone wanted to be there for me and not judge me for my mistakes-it was a selfish desire but I couldn't shake it off.

"N-now all my other friends are mad at me." I felt the last bit of my sanity shatter from those words. "It's not fair. R-right when I-I had so many people to lean back on...i-it's all taken away."

"Ara," Scarlet broke the hug. "Hey, look at me for a second."

I wiped my face against my sleeves before peeking up. She stretched her mouth into a small smile," whatever happened it's not your fault, Ara."

"But what if-"

"Stop asking the what ifs," she cut me off, her eyes hardened for a brief second. "I might not have been there but I know whatever happened wasn't your fault. I'll always be on your side, no matter what your other friends think."

"Scarlet-" I felt the words I had in mind crumble into pieces as the tears took over. I mutely wrapped my arms around Scarlet and pulled her into a tight hug, burying my face in her shoulder.

"I understand your pain more than anyone, Ara." Scarlet returned gently the hug. "No matter what I'll be by your side. Just remember that."

* * *

Yang was the first to greet me when I returned to the base. I was knocked to the ground by its unexpected tackle. It proceeded to greet me with multiple slobbery licks on the face. I laughed and pushed Yang off, but just as I thought I freed myself from its warm kisses Yang jumped back on me for another round of slobbery affection.

"Yang's been pacing around for a while now." I felt myself freeze at the sound of Chung's voice. I pushed Yang off and hurried onto my feet, this time it didn't try to pounce on me again.

"H-hey," I sheepishly glanced at him. He was standing not too far from me, with his cannon rested beside him and his armour still equipped.

"So our stay at Feita hasn't exactly been pleasant." He chuckled blankly.

"What gave you that idea, genius?" I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"Nice to see you still got that charming sense of humour," he smiled. "So how are you holding up?"

"Not very well," I sighed. The unseen weight crushing my chest seemed to grow heavier. "I can't imagine the others are doing any better."

"You got that right," he answered more quietly this time.

I didn't need him to explain to know why and I can't blame them for being mad.

"Ara, what exactly happened back there?" Chung asked.

I felt the world's weight rest on my shoulders," I-" I paused, my head pounding with each passing second. "Um...I..."

He sighed," only Elsword and a few other knights got a good view of what happened there. They all point to you making the illogical decision to stand still."

"Well they aren't lying." I answered in a soft whisper. I felt my eyes burning from the recent memories flashing in my head.

"It wasn't right," he said bluntly, but his voice held no anger. "But I can't fully blame you. I would be frozen on my feet if some demon pointed an El Shard at me...especially if it was the Nature Shard."

"That was the one you guys lost before," I found myself blurting out-I muttered a quick apology before falling silent.

Why would Aren have the Nature Shard in the first place? I couldn't help but ponder. It'd be impossible to have it unless he stole it from the one who took it from Rena.

_Or maybe he was the reason Rena died._

I wanted to collapse on my knees at Eun's suggestion-it was an idea I didn't want to conclude with. I didn't want to believe my own brother was a murderer.

"She's still alive," Chung changed the subject. "Allegro began treating her the instant she came in his tent."

I remembered Aisha saying how little time she had, even if she was still alive it would only be a matter of time before she crossed over. I was sure Chung knew this fact already, but he probably only said it to give me some false hope-or maybe he was trying to convince himself she would survive.

"How's she doing?" I asked with a bit of reluctance.

"Last time I checked she was still in for treatment. Anything could've happened by now."

In other words, she could be dead.

"H-hey, everything will be fine." He quickly added with a small smile. "Uh...we should go back before they worry."

"_You_ should go back," My answer made his expression drop. "They wouldn't want to see me."

He didn't say anything for a moment. I dropped my gaze and sunk my teeth into the inside of my cheeks. There was nothing he could say to change the fact that everyone had a little grudge held against me.

"Look, with Aisha injured and the whole incident with you standing still like a rock, I'm not gonna lie and say you'll have a good time with the others." His words emanated with truth, but that only sharpened the daggers cutting into my heart. "Avoiding them won't fix anything. Just be here for everyone, that's the best thing you _can_ do now."

I sheepishly glanced up at him, my cheeks warmed at the ocean blue eyes gazing straight at me," do you really that will help?" I asked.

"I can't promise it'll help, but it's better than disappearing out of the blue." He nudged his head toward the direction of Allegro's tent. "Come on, everyone is waiting for us."

"Y-yeah," I gestured Yang to follow before proceeding forward-it gladly followed my mute orders.

"Oh and I'm not held accountable if anything goes wrong." He added. I caught a glimpse of the toothy grin stretching on his face.

I smiled and shoved him to the side," jerk." I laughed as he nearly toppled over on the ground-he narrowed his eyes in response.

"Gotta make sure you won't blame me for anything, demon freak." He recoiled back and bumped into me. This time it was my turn to stumble to the side. Luckily Yang rushed beside me and helped me regain balance before I could fall.

"Wow, you're actually pretty clever." I said, rubbing Yang behind the ear as a 'thanks' for catching me. "Didn't think you had it in you, Rapunzel."

That's how Chung and I ended up throwing empty insults at each other, sharing a light-hearted laugh along the way. Our conversation (if you can even call it that) was short lived but I still cherished every second of it. It was nice to finally talk to him the way I used to. I didn't think I would ever talk to him like that after Rena returned.

If only we could stay like this forever. Always walking together through a field of bliss, forever smiling and laughing through the bright days ahead.


	70. 70

When we returned our destination everyone (except Amos) was circled at the entrance of the tent. Allegro was in the middle speaking among them. Chung and I piped down as we reached them, the group silently widened for us to join in when we arrived-I found myself hiding behind Chung upon catching Rena's narrowed eyes on me.

"S-so as it stands now," Allegro took a quick glance at Chung and I. "Aisha is in a very dangerous state. The poison she's been injected with is very strong-"

"I-is there anyway to cure it?" Elsword cut him off hastily-my stomach twisted upon noticing his snow white face and puffy eyes.

Allegro bowed his head, his glasses slid down the bridge of his nose from the gesture," t-the poison is something I've never seen before. I-I can't promise I'll be able to find a cure for her."

Elsword's jawline tightened and his eyes welled with tears. The word _'sorry' _threatened to jump off my tongue, but I knew my none of my words would be able to bring his girlfriend back.

"But is there still a chance we could find a cure?" Eve asked, even her eyes were puffy from the incident.

"M-maybe," Allegro answered lightly, he pushed his glasses back up his nose. "I-I can't promise a perfect cure, but I can try using the strongest antidote on her-"

"Then try!" Allegro tensed at Elsword's sudden outburst. "Please, Allegro, try and help her. I-I don't care how much we need to pay just please help her." His strong and booming voice fell into a whisper.

Allegro's eyes sparked at his reaction, "I-I have a cure in mind." he paused for a brief second. "But the main ingredient I need is rather hard to obtain."

"What is it?" Speka asked.

"I-I need a specific flower, it resembles that of a lily. Its petals are red as blood—not hard to find." He answered. "Um...good news is the flowers we need are abundant in Feita's woods, but obtaining it will be a bit problematic."

"Let me guess, the flower we need is surrounded by demons or something." Speka blurted with annoyance dripping in her every word. "Figures."

"N-not surrounded but the woods are littered with danger." Allegro bowed his head. "I-I wish there was another way."

"Whatever, we'll go to the forest and get the flower." Elsword raked his hand through his red hair. "We'll be leaving now."

"Now?" Allegro quoted with widened eyes. "You guys just returned and-"

"Aisha doesn't have that much time," Elsword cut him off, his booming voice made the alchemist tense on the spot. Elsword curled his hands into tight fists added," we'll get the flower and cure Aisha."

Allegro quickly bobbed his head," r-right." He answered curtly. "T-the flower is quite common in the woods so it shouldn't take long to find it. I-I still advise on not going though. The demons there are rather hard to spot and we don't have any troops who are fit to help you guys."

"We'll go anyways," Speka piped in. "I'd rather die to demons than to let my sister suffer any longer."

"I agree with Speka," Eve added. "As friends we should do everything in our power to help Aisha, even if we die trying."

"F-fair enough." Allegro bobbed his head. "I-I'll be in my tent until you guys return."

"Oh and before you go—"Raven placed his Nasod hand on Allegro's shoulder"—where is Amos?"

"H-he's in Lento's tent. I-I told him to practice making new elemental orbs." His response evidently made Raven relax.

"Good," he lifted his hand off. "Please don't tell him any of this. Just say we went out to run some errands."

"Raven," Eve gently placed a hand on top of his, her golden eyes softening on her royal guard. "He'll need to know at some point."

"I-I know," Raven turned his back toward the group. "Just don't tell him now. W-we still have some hope left for Aisha and I don't want the kid to worry."

"I'll be sure to keep him in the dark." Allegro answered. "I-I'd suggest leaving soon. A-Amos will be done his experiments momentarily. There's no doubt he'll be looking for you afterwards."

Raven gave a curt nod in response.

Allegro bade us goodbye before retreating back into his tent, the putrid scent of disinfectants punched me in the face as he cracked open the tent flaps to enter.

We were all left in a suffocating silence once he was gone. Nearly everyone had their eyes on the ground, their minds wandering through a storm of thoughts—Rena was the only one with her head up. Her hate filled eyes burning holes into me.

"We should go," Elsword broke the silence with a soft whisper. He pushed through the group and began his way out, no one said a word as we mimicked his actions.

"Elsword," Rena pushed passed the crowd to reach him—she shoved me to the side with additional force, nearly making me topple over on the ground. "I suggest we leave the demons behind."

Elsword stopped in his tracks with whitened knuckles dropped on his sides. Rena took this as a sign to keep talking.

"Aisha is injured because of her. If we bring her along I bet she'll only foil our plan to help Aisha."

Her every word made the blood in my veins boil. I wanted nothing more than to swipe my blade at her and stop the acidic words from burning the last of my dignity. I grit my teeth and bit back the sizzling anger threatening to make an appearance.

"Rena," Chung whispered behind me. "It's not the time for this."

"It's the perfect time, Chung." She answered without looking back. "It's the perfect time to kick the burden out of the team. While we're at it we should slay her and that Phoru, it'll not only assure our safety and success in this mission."

I felt something snap inside me. The anger tried so hard to conceal burst from its confides, like a magma flying out of a smoking volcano.

"Hey, watch what you're saying." I growled. She snapped her head back at me and narrowed her eyes.

"What are you gonna do, demon?" She turned her body to face me. I absentmindedly took a step away from her. "Are you gonna kill me? Rip everyone here into shreds? Or perhaps you'll stand like a dead tree against our enemies?" Her sweet voice taunting me with each word.

"Rena, don't say things like that." Raven piped in, his voice hardened with frustration and anger.

"Last time I checked _you_ were attacking _us, _Rena_._" I snapped, my head pounding like a set of drums.

"I couldn't control myself," Rena choked on her words. "B-but _you_? You were in perfect control and yet you didn't anything. Y-you stood there and let Aisha take the hit for you. How can you call yourself a Red Knight when you can't even protect a frie-"

"Enough!" Elsword's sudden outburst made me yelp while Rena simply froze. Elsword still had his back turned toward us, with shoulders raised up to his ears. "Just shut up, the both of you! If you're gonna keep arguing then don't bother coming along. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir." Rena muttered, turning her back at me once again.

"Y-yeah," I answered, bowing my head in shame.

In retrospect it was insensitive to argue with Rena at a time like this. We should be working together, but how could we fight as one when it felt like the group we called 'friends' was slowly breaking apart?

* * *

The slender grass rustled and bent under our feet. Towering trees stretched over us, their dark slender shadows sprawled along the forest grounds like a rug. Leaves rustled in the passing air, clapping their flat hands together along with the whistling wind.

Aside from the gentle sounds of nature accompanying us there was silence. Demons lurked in the forest's dark curtain but none of them approached us. I wasn't sure if it was because of the El Shard pulsating in Elsword's hand or that fact that they were just too timid to confront us—whatever the reason may be it did make our job easier.

"I do not like this," Eve was the first to break the silence. "Why are the demons avoiding us?"

"Who cares?" Chung answered in a whisper. "We should be glad nothing is trying to eat us."

"I suppose." Eve mumbled. "I just hope this mission will end peacefully."

"We don't have to worry." Elsword finally spoke up. He pointed his single sword ahead, it's blade glimmering with cyan light. "I see red flowers up ahead."

I poked my head up from behind him to catch a glimpse of the patch of red, their collected colours making it seem like a pool of blood was spilled on the forest grounds.

"Let's hurry up and get them." Elsword let his sword fall to his side before proceeding forward. "Aisha's counting on us."

We followed mutely behind our leader. Grass shifted from all around us, dark shadows in the veil of the forest's curtain brewed with more vigour the closer we drew to our target. However, this did not waver Elsword. He kept his shoulders held back and continued toward the crimson patch with long strides.

Something from a nearby tree shifted within the dark leaves, but before anyone could properly register what was happening something leaped out at Elsword.

"Back off, buddy!" With one swift movement Elsword swiped his sword toward his attacker.

Their weapons clanged into one another. The familiar blue-haired man cursed at his failed attack and recoiled back, shifting his massive blue gun behind him.

Just as Elsword relaxed from the abrupt assault another figure jumped out from a tree behind him. The silver-haired girl swiped her heavy blue claw against his chest before recoiling back. Elsword howled in pain from the successful hit and fell onto his knee.

"Awe, you were doing so well too." Lu said with a small pout. "It was kinda cute seeing how confident you were."

"There is nothing cute about the enemy, Lu." Ciel pointed his gun on Elsword and placed a slender finger against the trigger.

I felt myself freezing in response. I obviously wanted to save him but I didn't know if Ciel would pull the trigger before I reached Elsword.

"I was joking, Ciel." She took a step toward our fallen leader. A toothy grin spread on her small lips, revealing a set of white fangs. "Humans can never be cute."

"Get away from our leader," Eve dashed forward and swung her opened palm across Lu's face, the hit caused the small demon to tumble onto her feet.

Ciel snapped his head toward his fallen ally and cursed, turning the gun toward Eve. Before he could pull the trigger Raven jumped in to intervene, Ciel leaped back before Raven's blade could reach him.

"Elsword, go get the flowers." Raven ordered with eyes glued onto the enemy. "Eve and I will handle these two."

"T-thanks." Elsword answered curtly. Without another word he dashed forward, the rest of us followed eagerly behind.

The closer we drew closer the faster my heart thumped. The crimson flowers swayed with the wind, waving at us to pluck them out from their dark home. We were nearly to our target, the light at the end of the tunnel was in our grasp. An unseen force pushed us to the sides before we could close our hands around our hope. I was violently thrown off of Yang and collided head first into a bumpy tree. The others collided into the nearby bushes, snapping fragile branches upon impact.

"Guys-" Raven was abruptly cut short but one of Ceil's attacks.

"That's far enough." A hoarse voice thundered.

I shifted myself up against the tree, my vision littered with black dots. I blinked and averted my eyes toward the approaching figure, a line of burning purple ghosts hovered around it like moths to a flame.

"Amethyst," I seethed. Eun instantly encased me with its power, the extra energy cleared the black dots staining my vision in an instant.

Yang pounced at the Amethyst, but before it could land a successful hit it was blown away by the ghosts guarding their master. I watched as my trusted partner was blown away, nearly colliding into the fight surging shortly behind us.

"Amethyst, I will kill you." I slid myself up, using the tree trunk as a support.

"Wow, someone who isn't my friend remember my name." Amethyst howled with laughter, the ghosts lingering around him wailed along. "Gee, I wonder how the Master will react-"

The Amethyst swayed to the side as a glowing green arrow zipped passed him, hitting an unsuspecting ghost along the way.

"You will pay for hurting Aisha." Rena jumped up to her feet and drew back on her bow. "And you will pay for manipulating me."

"I second that." Speka piped in, grunting as she got to her feet. "Things like you don't deserve to live."

"Please, ladies, calm down for just a moment." Amethyst replied, amusement ringing in his voice. "There's a bunch of room for everyone to go around."

"Chung," I heard Elsword whisper out of an earshot.

"Yeah." He answered in an equally quiet voice.

With a blink of an eye both the guys charged toward the crimson flowers. Unfortunately the Amethyst promptly took notice of their actions and pointed an open palm at their direction, a line of ghosts charged out from his hand and toward them. Their movements were swift as snakes and their attacks deadly as a tiger's bite. Elsword and Ching stood no chance against the ghosts and were knocked down on their feet.

_That fight isn't ours. _Eun reminded me. _Focus on the Amethyst, Ara. We can aid the others later._

I just hope Chung will be okay. I thought, turning my attention back to my prey. Amethyst didn't move from his spot.

"_Aaaah!_" Rena charged forward and high kicked the Amethyst in the chest. Her attack was cushioned by the ghosts who rushed in to protect him, but it pushed the necromancer back nonetheless.

Speka sprinted up next and collided her staff onto the Amethyst, she summoned a dark orb upon making brief contact with the Amethyst's body. The close range of the attack caused a small explosion, pushing the Amethyst back further.

Rena didn't waste a second to charge toward the Amethyst again. Speak and I held back, at least until she was finished with her attack.

My heart dropped to my stomach the moment she froze on the spot. She relaxed her limbs and turned herself around to face us, her expression blank as a white canvas.

The Amethyst shook with laughter behind her. Rena tightened her blank eyes on us and began her way toward us. Speak and I tensed and began backing away from her.

"Souls of the dead all belong to me." Amethyst went on nonchalantly. "Listen, ladies, I am not one to jump into battle, but I sure do like watching one unfold. Please don't mind me watching, I'm quite curious to see how you'll fare against your own friend."

Rena took that as a queue to start firing at us, showering us with red arrows. Speka and I jumped mindlessly around trying to avoid each hit, it didn't help that she was firing consecutively.

Yang charged back into the fight, this time with emerald eyes locked onto Rena. With one swift move it lunges a flaming paw into Rena's side, sending the elf onto the ground.

"Yang," I beamed, wiping the excess sweat built up on my forehead.

Yang didn't have time to acknowledge me as it bared its teeth at Rena. She jumped back to her feet and aimed her bow at Yang. This time I had no choice but to fight back.

I charged toward her and swiped my spear diagonally at her. She leaned back but the side of her cheek couldn't escape my blade's edge.

"_Oof!_" She brought her knee up into my stomach, sending me staggering back.

"Snap out of it already," a chain of fireballs came rushing to my aid.

While Speka's attack distracted Rena for a brief second, it wasn't enough to divert her attention away from me. Once she had successfully dodged the flaming orbs she resumed her fight with me, raining various kicks at me. I was swift to block each hit with the staff of my spear.

_Ara, fight back._

'I can't, Eun. I might not like her but I can't just kill her.'

Speka and Yang rushed to my aid. Yang attacked Rena with its flaming claws while Speka supported us with various spells. I was luckily spared from her chain of physical assaults as she turned to attack her new foes.

_She will kill you if you do not fight back. Besides, Rena is already dead. Leaving her here in this world will only harm her._

'But who am I to send her back? It's no different than killing. Eun, I'm sorry but there has to be another way.'

Yang jumped back to avoid a high kick—nearly bumping into me. It growled and charged, sinking its sharp fangs into her leg in haste. Speka took this chance to launch more fireballs at her.

Raven and Eve's voice roared behind me while Elsword and Chung grunted against the powerful spirits just meters ahead. Everyone was engaged in a battle—except for the puppet master himself.

The necromancer was the one pulling all the strings. I reasoned. He doesn't have to fight if his slaves do the dirty work for him. So if I want to help Rena I'll need to sever the chains he has on her.

I snapped my head toward the true enemy. He had hands clasped in front of him and ghosts hovering protectively by his side, the Amethyst was quite literally enjoying the _'show' _unfolding before him.

I sprinted at the Amethyst with the edge of my blade targeting his chest. The mindless guards hovering by him took quick notice of my advance and charged at me.

"Get out of my way," I leaped forward and swiped my spear horizontally, my blade cutting through the line of ghosts blocking my path.

Once I landed back on the ground I resumed my advancement toward Amethyst, not bothering to see if the ghosts behind me were all slain.

I narrowed my eyes at the floating torso, the blood in my head pounding for victory," Moonlight Slash!" I swung my spear in a circular motion.

Amethyst jumped back from my attack, the edge of his purple coat splitting into two as my blade skid along its surface.

"W-wow, didn't think you'd get past my ghosts." Amethyst managed to circle himself around until his back was facing the direction of the red flowers.

I repositioned myself to properly face him. "Shut up and fight me," I growled, sinking my feet into the ground. "Rock Smash!"

I charged forward with a burst of energy, the nearby leaves and grass waved along to my motion. Amethyst barely moved away in time, consequently opening a path leading directly to Rena. Yang and Speka both recoiled back as I continued to forward, ramming into Rena and sending her flying toward the guys ahead. She collided right into Chung's back, nearly toppling him over.

I grounded my heels into the ground in attempts to stop. I plunged my spear into the dirt to help reduce my speed into a slow stop. Rena was quick to recover on her feet while I was still trying to keep balanced from my abrupt halt—my eyes widened at the glowing green are arrow pointed in between my eyes.

Chung cursed," sorry, Rena." He charged tackled her down from behind, pinning her down on her stomach.

Rena wiggled under his grasp in protest with legs flailing violently behind her.

Chung tightened his lips together as he applied more pressure on her, his arms shaking from the every action he restrained from her.

"Chung, I-"

"I'll keep her down." He cut me off.

Elsword fought the remaining two ghosts loudly, drowning away Rena's animalistic grunts from her restraints.

"Don't worry about us. I'll keep her secured." He added with reassuring smile.

I simply bobbed my head in agreement," don't worry, Chung." I turned my back on him. Ahead of me I saw Yang and Speka both fighting the Amethyst. The necromancer stumbled with each hit. "I promise I'll save her."

I swallowed down the lump in the back of my throat and sprinted forward. Yang and Speka had just finished a combined fire attack, leaving the Amethyst pinned against a charred tree.

"This is for controlling Rena!" I plunged my spear just short of his chest.

I recoiled my weapon out and grinned at the sound of his pained cries.

"This is for hurting my sister!" Speka released another fireball at the necromancer's stomach.

Amethyst tensed at the attack before sliding down against the tree. I scoffed as he groaned from his newly acquired injuries. It would've been better if he had just died then and there.

"You're through, Amethyst." I rested the edge of my blade on his chest. My heart raced at the victory shining in front of me.

"Wait." Amethyst wheezed. "Killing me would be a terrible mistake."

Speka scowled at his poor attempt to avoid his well deserved fate," give me one good reason why we should spare you." She challenged.

Amethyst chuckled, despite the danger his life was in," killing me would be equivalent to murdering that elf."

I felt a chill go down my spine at his words.

"Y-you have no proof." I pushed my spear harder against the enemy's chest. "S-stop trying to save your miserable life."

Amethyst laughed," do I really need proof, ladies? I'm a necromancer, my magic is made to bring the dead back. As great as my magic is, once I'm dead the souls I resurrected will die with me. If you don't believe me then feel free to plunge that blade into me. Let's just see if Rena will last an extra hour in this world."

I felt the strength in my arms and legs melt into useless puddles. Even Speka's hands were trembling from the necromancer's comments.

Killing Amethyst would mean murdering Rena. Would it be wrong for us to end this enemy; knowing full well a friend would die along with him? Could I really do that to my friends; to Chung? Rena and I may not be the best of friends but that doesn't mean she is evil. I couldn't just turn my blade on her, an innocent person—killing her would be injustice.

I was dragged out from my thoughts the moment I (along with Speka and Yang) was thrown back by an unseen force. A nearby bush broke my fall, it's twigs snapping in protest from my abrupt landing.

Amethyst slowly helped himself back, wheezing with every little breath.

"Elsword, hurry up." Chung's voice snapped.

I turned my head and noticed all the ghosts attacking them were now gone. Rena was still pinned down by Chung but her trashing had seemed to settle.

Tears hit me like a towering wave. This time I wasn't crying from pain, this time I was crying from our victory. The crimson flowers were just a few steps away from us, their path cleared of any threats. I could picture them dancing in the passing breeze, celebrating with us—or so I thought.

My arms and legs were suddenly bound together with thick thorny vines. I grit my teeth and wiggled my body in retaliation. The more I moved the stronger and thicker the vines grew.

I frantically scanned around, everyone seemed to be tangled in the green restraints. Elsword's restraints were thicker than anyone else's and more vines continued to encase him—rendering the Wind Shard useless.

"Looks like the Master was right about these humans. They are pretty strong." Lu skipped toward Amethyst with Ciel trailing behind her. In her hand was a glowing green jewel.

"Why didn't we just use that thing from the very start?" Amethyst grunted, resting his weight on Lu's head.

"I thought it'd be fun to play with the humans." Her light blue eyes shifted onto me. A malicious smile stretched on her face," it was _very_ fun indeed."

"Should we take the second El Shard?" Ciel asked.

Lu shook her head, swinging her curly silver hair back and forth," I don't feel like fighting against another El Shard."

"Should we at least kill the humans?" Amethyst added.

"Master said to keep them alive." Lu reminded with a bright smile. "We should follow orders without question."

She held the El Shard above her head. The green jewel shown with a lighter hue of green, I squinted my eyes to get a better look at the Shard. With a blink of an eye the Shard released a green shock wave, the air raced along with the impulse as it spread throughout the forest.

"Amethyst, if you will." Lu ordered.

Amethyst raised his hands up and began chanting in a strange language, a purple magic circle formed beneath the trio. Their images grew fainter as the chant went on while the light from the purple circle strengthened with each verse.

"Those flowers are garbage when they dry up." Lu said, her voice sounding distant. "Good luck trying to get that cure."

The trio disappeared into purple particles. I could only imagine the Amethyst had teleported them back to safety.

The vines coiled around my body began to wither and fall, finally freeing me from my restraints. I would've been fine if that was the only thing that withered.

The grass, trees, and bushes began bleeding into a dark hue. Grass curled into dry balls before dropping dead, the leaves on trees and bushes mimicked the same actions. It didn't take long for us to be completely showered in curled leaves.

Sobbing sounded just up ahead where Chung and Elsword were. I swallowed and clumsily helped myself up. I slowly walked toward the guys, my shaking footsteps crunching loudly against the dried leaves.

When I finally arrived to the guys I felt numb. I couldn't think of anything, I couldn't feel anything—something inside of me died along with the woods. Everyone who followed after me fell into a unbreakable silence.

Chung had his head bowed and shoulders tensed, Rena laid unconscious in his arm—I envied her ignorance to the harsh reality.

Elsword was slumped on the ground with tight fists curled around the dried grass. His body shook with each heartbreaking sob.

In front of him, just a few steps away, laid the remains of the red flowers. Dried and lifeless like the rest of their home.

***Plays dramatic music* and so the final hope for Aisha is gone. Things are starting to look grim for everyone.**


	71. 71

Allegro set up a separate tent for Aisha when he learned we failed to get the flower. The tent was bigger than the ones we slept in and had just enough room for everyone to huddle in. Aisha laid on unconscious in the centre of our group, her chest rising weakly with each breath. It was only a matter of time before that rhythmic rising and falling stopped forever.

Elsword shakily cradled her in his arms. Speka took one of her sister's hands and held it. Amos, who was immediately fetched by Lento upon our return, cuddled in Raven's arms. He bawled into his shoulder, his screams probably echoing out from the dark tent.

"S-sorry, Aisha." Elsword choked up on his words. "W-we looked everywhere for the cure but those damn demons killed everything."

"I-I'm sorry I failed you, S-Sis." Speka tightened her grip around Aisha's hand. "I-I'm sorry we can't share anymore memories together. W-we finally united with each other and now-" Speka hunched over and bawled, screaming and crying for her departing sister.

"I'm such a j-jerk, right?" Elsword whispered to her. "I-if you wake up I promise I'll be n-nicer. I-I won't leave the toilet seat up anymore a-and I'll cuddle with you more. Just please wake up."

His words threw daggers into my heart. Tears cascaded down my cheeks, their warmth tickled my skin for a brief second before leaving behind a cold trail.

"It was nice seeing you again, Aisha." Rena whispered. While her voice was calm her eyes her glassy with tears. "I wish we could've spent more time together."

"I-I thank you for your years of friendship." Eve wiped her damp eyes with the back of her hand. "I-I will forever cherish our time together, Aisha."

"Amos and I will miss you." Raven bowed his head. "P-please forgive us. W-we all failed you when you needed us the most."

"W-we were just too weak," Chung's voice dropped into weak whisper. "I hope y-you aren't feeling any pain right now."

"It's my fault," I whispered to myself. "I-I'm the reason you're-" I couldn't find I that sentence. I refused to say that final word.

I curled my hands into a fist, digging my nails into my skin. I wanted to pinch myself awake from this nightmare. I had enough with this dream. I wanted to return to the waking world, a world where Aisha was alive and blessed us all with her contagious smile.

The rhythmic rising of Aisha's chest came to a halt. Her head slumped back—at that moment I knew this was a nightmare I could never wake up from.

"N-no," Elsword shook her, but she gave no response. She laid still as a rock in his arms, the life once burning in her now succumb to the impenetrable darkness.

"S-Sis," Speka whimpered, her shoulders shaking with each breath. "D-don't leave me alone, Sis. P-please don't go, I-I need you. Aisha, I-I don't want to be alone anymore. P-please don't do this to me. I-I love you, Sis."

Eve broke into sobs. Raven shifted Amos into his other arm and placed a firm hand on Eve's shoulder, allowing her to release the pain in his comfort. Everyone allowed the tears to fall.

I buried my face in my hands and cried—the tears wouldn't stop coming down. My body trembled with each breathtaking sob, it felt like I was dying on the inside.

"S-stop crying everyone." Elsword hiccuped. "S-she's not dead yet. S-she's stronger than this. I-I can still feel her warmth."

I perked my head up from my soaked hands only to see Elsword shaking Aisha's body in his arms.

The pain in my chest hammered down on me, invisible arrows plunged into my heart with every passing second. Every fibre of my being yearned for the numbness to take over again. I didn't want to feel the pain anymore, it was slowly killing me.

"Y-you always call me a jerk, A-Aisha." He went on, the stream of tears dripped off his chin and fell onto Aisha. "R-right now you're the real jerk. L-look you g-got everyone to cry like babies. D-drop the act and wake up."

"Elsword..." Speka whispered, dropping her sister's hand from hers.

"M-man when d-did you become such a good actress?" He forced out a trembling laugh. "Y-you got everyone tricked. I-I almost believed you w-were dead."

"Elsword," Speka rose her head up to face him.

"W-when we g-get home I'm gonna t-tickle you to death. W-well not actually to d-death but you know what I mean. I-I don't understand w-why you wanna keep up this act, b-but it's really scaring-"

"Shut up, Elsword!" Speka screamed, her voice making me jump on the spot. Elsword turned his gaze up at her, eyes hardened with anger. "Shut up! Just shut up!" She pounded a closed fist onto the ground.

"Speka, d-don't shout." Elsword narrowed his eyes on her. "Aisha-"

"Stop talking about my sister!" She cried. "Wake up, Elsword! Aisha is dead. S-she's not with us anymore so stop acting like everything is fine!"

Hurt flashed through his crimson eyes. He shook his head and returned his gaze on Aisha," n-no she's not dead. P-people like her d-don't die. T-the world i-isn't that cruel."

He pulled her into his chest and tightened his arms around her," s-she can't be dead. I-I know she can't be."

Resting his head onto power of hers he begins to cry. He trembled, screamed; cursed at the cruel fate the world imposed on Aisha. The rest of us cried along with him, our voices blending into one symphony of pain.

That night the base echoed with our combined cries. Our sorrow spread through the night like a wildfire, burning all that was good and intact in our blazing path.

* * *

Aisha's funeral was held in the early morning. A coffin was prepared the night before by Allegro. Once she was laid comfortably in her eternal bed we closed the lid.

The walk up the Dead Man's Hill seemed to last for hours, the road to our destination seemed to stretch for an extra twenty kilometres. Lento and a few other Knights accompanied us as guards. We marched toward the graveyard in silence, with our weak legs pulling us through and our shoulders aching from the weight of Aisha's coffin.

I think the hardest part of the funeral was watching our friend's coffin lower into the ground. It felt wrong to confine her inside that box and trap her within the Earth, like an eternal prisoner.

Lento let have us a day off after the funeral ended. He said the rest of the troops will continue to climb the tower as time was quickly running short. The Harmony Festival was only a few days away and we still haven't solved the sudden rise in demonic activity, but right now that didn't matter. Our hearts were too injured to care about anything else. The weight of Aisha's death was still heavy on our shoulders.

I sat out in the outskirts of the the base alone. The eternally dark sky seemed to fit my mood perfectly. It was empty, bland; a blanket of clouds constantly prevented the light from ever reaching the cold land.

"I was wondering where you went." Rena's voice sounded softly behind me. I ignored her and kept my burning eyes in the land ahead—withered black trees stretched up to the bleak sky in the horizon.

Rena sat herself beside me. A breeze swept between us, outlining the wall that has always been separating us.

"What do you want?" I rubbed my burning dry eyes. "If you're here to yell at me for failing Aisha then you're wasting your time. I tell myself that all the time now."

"I won't deny your mistake, Ara, but that's not why I'm here." She answered flatly. "I'm here to talk."

"Talk about how badly I screwed up?"

"No, just a regular talk. I'm not looking for an argument today. I just want to know you better."

If Aisha heard this she would be jumping for joy.

"Ara, when I am under the necromancer's control I am still aware of my surrounding. I remember all the fights I had with you guys, and I also remember when you refused to hurt me." She paused. "I want to thank you for sparing me, but I also want to know why you didn't fight me. Why did you spare me and that necromancer?"

"That's a good question," I raked my hand through my tangled hair. "I guess it's because you're important. Everyone would be devastated if you were to die again. Plus, you would've died if Amethyst was killed."

"I see," she whispered to herself. "But I turned on you guys. Wouldn't it be smart to fight back?"

"You were being controlled by the Amethyst. It wasn't your fault that you were attacking us." I explained.

I heard her shifting beside me," Chung was right about you." My chest flared with warmth at her comment. "You help and worry about the people who deserve it the least."

Did Rena seriously just compliment me?

I turned my gaze over to her. Her dull eyes stared out into the distance, I couldn't pick up a spark of emotion stirring in them.

"I just didn't want anyone to feel hurt, but now with Aisha gone..." I choked up on my words.

"Aisha, I hope she is at peace." A soft smile stretched on her lips. "I hope I can meet her again soon."

My eyes widened at her remark," what do you mean by that?"

"I don't belong in this world, Ara." She turned her eyes on me, tears danced gently in them. "I am dead. There is no way I can remain in this world with everyone."

"But everyone cares about you," I answered almost instantly. "Everyone was so happy when they saw you return. Do you know what kind of pain they'll go through if you died again?" I rubbed my sleeve across my eyes, no doubt it left my face damp.

"You don't understand," she dropped her gaze. "I am a shell of my former self. I cannot grow and live with the rest of you. Even if I find a way to stay in this world I'm still an outcast."

"But everyone cares-"

She placed a firm hand on my shoulder and shook her head," imagine going to a party. All around you there are people playing, laughing, and enjoying the many food and games set up. However, in this party you are trapped in a cage. You can talk to the people attending but you can never have fun with them." Something clicked at the back of my mind.

Who knew Rena felt like this? Here I was complaining about being left out when Rena had it worse.

Guilt instantly slithered up my back and tangled itself around my neck. It's strict confided making it nearly impossible to breathe.

"I-I see." I replied. She slid her hand off me.

"Ara, I know killing the Amethyst will mean killing me, but please don't hesitate next time." Her fingers curled around the spiky grass. She sniffled and added," p-please don't hesitate to free me from my cage."

"I-I understand," I placed my hand on top of hers and gave it a tight squeeze.

The thought of losing another teammate made me sick to my stomach, but I had no choice. Rena wanted to be free from this world and who was I to keep her trapped here?

"Promise me you'll take care of this team—this family when I'm gone." She whispered, her voice barely audible under the million of thoughts racing through my head.

"I promise." My eyes burned once again but this time no tears fell. I had already exhausted them all.

"Thank you." She fluttered her eyes shut and rested her head in my shoulder. "Thank you so much for granting my final wish."

Another breeze swept by, but this time it could not fly between us.


	72. 72

I woke up in a cold sweat early next morning, bits and pieces from my nightmare lingered fresh in my conscious mind. This time; however, the nightmares were not about my past. This time I dreamt of Aisha. I was forced to see the forest-green beam hitting her body, to witness the life dimming in those purple eyes, and hearing Aren's voice taunting me from the background.

My mind was a mess, jumping in between Aisha's final moments awake and the possibilities of that demon being Aren. Staying in my tent only made the thoughts and paranoia stronger. I crawled out of the dark confides and ran to the outskirts of the base, I didn't bother taking Eun or anything to defend myself with.

The cool morning air brushed its fingers through my damp hair, its cold breath blowing against my drenched clothes.

I stopped abruptly in a field of swaying grass and collapsed onto my knees, the early morning dew sinking into my clothes. Fresh sets of years rained down from me swollen eyes. I silently begged myself to stop crying but that only made the salty droplets drizzle down harder. It physically hurt to cry now. I was aching, it felt like someone had poured acid on my eyes and drilled a hole in my heart. Dying didn't sound like such a bad idea anymore.

"Look what we got here." A male voice chimed behind me.

I gasped and jumped up to my feet. Spinning myself around I came face to face with Lu and Ciel. Ciel had his gun aimed at my head while Lu greeted me with a toothy smile.

I closed my fists, instantly regretting not taking Eun along. I wanted to kill them. I wanted to have their blood stained on my hands.

"What do you want from me?!" I screamed. "W-what else do you want to take?"

"Wow we're not here to fight." Lu held up both her hands—the claws she bared in battle now gone. "Even if we were you wouldn't stand a chance."

"I don't have anything to say to you." I spat. Blood pounded wildly in my head.

"We'll make it quick, human." Lu reassured. "I'm just curious about you."

I arched my brow at her comment.

"You share power with a demon and you even have a monster for an ally." She rubbed her chin. "I don't understand why you're loved by them. You're just like any human and yet our own kind has sided with you."

"Why would you care?" I challenged.

"Oh I care very much," Lu twisted her arms behind her and smirked. "As a former princess of demons I must know why you are so loved by that fox and monster."

Princess? Since when did the demons have a kingdom?

"You seem confused." Lu pointed out softly. "I'm not surprised. My kingdom was wiped out years ago by your kind. Today it is nothing but ruins." Her blue eyes flared with hatred, they burned for bloodshed.

I swallowed," t-that has nothing to do with me."

"Your species killed everything." She seethed through clenched teeth. "You're lucky I don't have orders to kill you yet, human."

So she lost everything too and yet we're standing on opposing teams.

"So, human, what is your name?" Lu tilted her head.

"I don't need to tell you."

Ciel placed a finger in the trigger," answer her." He ordered.

If I had my spear with me I would've attacked him by now. With a scowl I answered," It's Ara." Ciel's muscles relaxed at my cooperation.

"Ara, eh?" Lu rolled my name out slowly. "So, Ara, where do you hail from?"

I didn't see the reason to tell them but I knew Ciel would only lose his temper if I didn't answer. When I meet him again I'll surely give him a good taste of my wrath.

"Sander." I answered curtly. Lu arched her brow at my answer." _You _seem confused. I'm not surprised. It was wiped out by demons a long time ago. Today it's in ruins under the sand." I shot back.

Lu's eyes widened for a brief moment before falling back into place. She giggled at the familiarity of her words," so we're the same."

"Almost the same." I corrected. "We fight for two different sides."

Lu laughed," yes, we are enemies after all." Once she had calmed down she narrowed her curious blue eyes on me. "Ara, what exactly do you fight for? You are human and yet you have two of our own as allies. Your morals must line up with ours in some way."

"It's simple, I want justice." I answered without a moment of hesitation. "Before I wanted revenge but after what I've gone through I know what I need to fight for. I need to fight for the innocent."

Lu sneered," justice." She snorted. "I hate that word."

Of course you'd hate it. I thought, grinding my teeth together. All you care about is killing innocent people.

"Ara, what is justice?" Lu challenged, crossing her arms.

What kind of question is that? I kept my eyes locked on her, waiting for her to burst out laughing and exclaiming her question was just a joke. After a few more seconds of silence I knew she was serious. Her stone blue eyes never leaving mine, her tiny fingers drummed impatiently against her arms.

"J-justice is to fight for what's right." I spoke up. Lu raised her brows at my answer. "I fight to protect the innocent from harm. That's justice."

This time Lu burst out laughing. She squeezed her eyes shut as her belly shook with laughter. I was starting to suspect her question really was a joke.

"If that's what justice is then that means I fight for the same reason." She said in between giggles.

"No," I felt my blood boiling at her answer. "You fight to harm people."

She stopped laughing in an instant. She wiggled a finger in the air and winked," to the humans I am a threat but to the demons I am a hero."

I opened my mouth to protest but I couldn't think of anything to counter with. Knowing she won the argument she went on, this time with a prideful smile," I'm fighting to raise the demon race from the ashes we were buried in. I will revive my kingdom and I will lead my kind to a brighter future. Everyone on our side fights for that simple purpose. We all want a brighter and happier future."

"But you don't need to use violence." I protested. This situation was just too familiar to me. "Eve is one of my friends and she also happens to be the Queen of Nasods. She has the same goal as you but she's not using violence to achieve it. You probably think it's impossible but you're wrong. She made peace between her race and another without fighting anyone-"

"Demons have a more complicated past." Lu snapped. She took a deep breath in before continuing. "We have a longer history of bloodshed with humans. There can never be peace between us. The only peace we were ever promised from the humans ended up to be lies." Her voice was calm, but it could barely hide the acidity burning within her.

I felt the hate and anger radiate off of her, its venom oozing into the air, contaminating everything within its reach. I shivered under her hardened eyes.

"Lu..." I was at a loss of words. I didn't think our enemy would have such a complicated past—a past I could relate to so well.

"Our talk here is done." Lu turned in her heels until her back was toward me.

"You're different, Ara. I didn't think a human could fight so well with demons."

I kept my lips sealed shut. What else was I supposed to do? How could I respond after hearing all of that?

"Your unison with the demon and monster is quite fascinating." She glanced back with misty eyes. "I wish the rest of us humanity accepted us like you did."

Without another word she broke off into a sprint with Ciel trailing shortly behind. I was left alone again, the acidic thoughts burning through my head was the only there to accompany me.

* * *

Days passed since Aisha's death and we were all far from recovering. Lento allowed us to stay behind at the base a bit longer to mourn, but his frustration from or lack of participation was evident. The troops sent to the temple only captured one more additional floor, and as of now no one could advance any further.

Casualties were quickly building up, more Knights were given days off to mourn for friends, and our deadline was finally coming to smack us in the face. I didn't realize the severity of our situation until I overheard the argument between Elsword and Lento.

I was out on patrol, making my final round around camp, when I overheard two voice shouting at each other from one of the big tents. I slowed my pace and strained my ears to hear them.

"We need all our troops out there today." Lento's voice boomed.

"W-we aren't ready yet." Elsword answered in a lower tone.

"The Harmony Festival is four days away and we still haven't captured any new levels. The Velder Captains are demanding we take action soon."

"Well tell those guys to stop being so insensitive." Elsword snapped. "Many people are still mourning."

"The Velder Captains are sending extra troops to help you guys. They want the tower to be fully captured and under control before then." Lento persisted. "Most of the tower is ours, we just need a few more floors until the mission is complete."

"Who cares if the temple is captured? That won't necessarily calm all the demons down and it won't bring Aisha back!"

I pried my attention away at the mention of Aisha. With tears burning my eyes I hurried away, the sounds of Lento's protested ringed from behind.

I ran to the tiny fountain and collapsed by the trickling water. I cupped the cool translucent water in my hands and splashed it over my face. My tears mixed with the fountain's water, their warmth instantly zapped from the cold touch.

I sighed and dropped onto my back, allowing the trickles of water to roll down my face.

"I thought I'd find you here." I turned my head to the side to meet Chung's eyes. He was in his armour but his cannon was not with him. I assumed he left it behind after his patrol shift was over.

I forced on a smile and shot myself up to a sitting position.

"How are you doing?" He sat himself down beside me.

"Better," I lied, shifting my eyes down. In reality I was drowning in my own thoughts. "How are you?"

"Not so great," he sighed. "I was patrolling with Rena earlier but she felt sick halfway through."

Could Rena even feel sick? If she was dead she shouldn't be affected by some cold. Then again, she could still feel pain when attacked so perhaps illness still had the same effect on her.

"How is she?" I asked.

"She went to the lake to recover," he shifted in the spot. "I...uh...didn't want to go back there."

Who could blame him? I've been avoiding that place like the plague now.

He chuckled, humour dry from his voice," I'm pretty selfish, eh? Letting her go off alone like that."

"I wouldn't call that selfish," I replied. "I would've done the same thing in your place."

"But still," he scratched the back of his head. "If something happens to her then it's my fault."

I opened my mouth to protest but snapped it back up before I could utter a word. It wouldn't matter what I say to him. He'll continue to blame himself, I knew that feeling too well.

"I wish we never came here," he said after a moment of silence. "Things have gotten so complicated since we came."

"Things have always been complicated," I corrected him.

I took a quick peek at him, his tired blue eyes stared blankly at the trickling water ahead. I clasped my hands together, quite literally holding myself back from wrapping my arms around him. It felt like I was building a walls between us.

"We just got lucky in the past," I averted my eyes back on the water. "If you think about it half our missions would have resulted in this."

"We lost the bet twice now," he dropped his voice into a soft whisper.

A tinge of pain plunged through my chest.

"It's kinda ironic," he went on. I shifted closer to him to hear better. "I was actually close to getting over her death."

"How do you feel now?" I asked softly.

He shrugged," I still see her as a friend and I still remember why I fell for her, but it's not the same anymore. I'm close to completely moving on, but it's hard when she's still here."

She'll die again when we kill the Amethyst—we have to kill him or she'll be trapped here like a prisoner. I tightened my lips together, not wanting to drop the truth on him yet.

"Man, this is such a mess," he pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I don't know what to do."

"You'll figure it out eventually," I clapped him on the back. "Just take your time. I know you can do it."

"I hope so."

We fell into silence, but it wasn't the kind of silence that urged you to break it. It was the kind the enveloped you with warm arms, allowing you to relax and fully take in its embrace.

_Boom!_

I gasped under the trembling ground. Screams rippled through the air around camp, a series of mini explosions followed shortly after. Black smoke rose from the camp, twisting and turning as it rose up to join the dark clouds.

Chung cursed under his breath once the tremors had ceased," Ara, you alright?"

"J-just a bit shaken up." I flashed a quick smile. "W-what was that?"

"I-I don't know." He scrambled up to his feet. I hastily mimicked his actions.

I scanned my eyes across the camp. Demons marched between the tents, ripping into fabrics and pouncing onto Knights. A mixture of screams and snarls echoed through the once silent base accompanied by the stench of blood.

Amongst the chaos a rain of green arrows pelted the the tents and Knights alike. Rena dashed into sight, demons followed her like a herd of sheep.

Before I could properly wrap my mind around the scene unfolding before my eyes, Rena came to an abrupt stop. The demons following her continued in the path, charging mindlessly through tents and pouncing on nearby Knights.

"W-what?" Chung took a step back—I mutely followed along.

Rena snapped her head at us, her expression blank and eyes dazed. She locked her eyes on Chung, the grip on her bow tightened.

"R-Rena, what are you doing?" He questioned, ignoring her unusual expression.

In one swift motion she aimed the bow at him and drew back, three green arrows materialized into her fingertips.

"T-that's not Rena in control." I whispered just as a droplet of sweat slithered down the side of my fave.

As if hearing my suspicions, Rena instantly released the three arrows, each one flying right at Chung.


	73. 73

Without thinking I threw myself at Chung. We both crumbled onto the ground as the three arrows barely skimmed passed. I scrambled up to my feet and face Rena once the arrows had passed.

"Are you okay?" I asked, scratching a piece of hair out of my mouth.

"I-I'm fine." Chung stammered, helping himself up in haste.

"Looks like the Amethyst decided to take control of her again." I made a quick scan of our surrounding, but I couldn't catch the necromancer anywhere.

Rena drew her bow back once more and fired, releasing two arrows directly at us. We parted in opposite directions, allowing the arrows to zip safely by.

"We can't keep her like this," I said, averting my eyes back on the elf. "We should try to restrain her."

"I agree," Chung raised his fists up. "Try not to hurt her too much though. It's not her fault she's being controlled."

"Right," Eun's energy flared to life—gifting me with nine snow white tails.

Rena drew her bow back and aimed it at me. I bent my knees and growled lowly. Once sure of her shot she released the green arrow. I leaped to the side the instant her fingers left the string. Chung charged toward her at that very moment—I followed behind shortly after.

She continued to fire at us. We both jumped around to dodge, barely missing the flying arrows advancing toward us.

Once I was close enough I pounced, tackling her down on the ground. Before I could properly restrain her down a fist collided into my face, sending stars into my vision.

"_Oof._" Another bony fist collided into my stomach. I rolled off her, my vision still dotted with black spots.

"Ara!" Chung's voice sounded shortly behind.

I shook my head and blinked. My vision was still polluted with spots but they were gradually growing less dense as each second passed. Once I had regained most of my sight I instantly noted the rain of kicks Rena was launching at Chung—he barely blocked each of the assaults. Eventually one of her kicks successfully collided into his stomach. He hugged his arms around his new injury and staggered back.

I took that chance to pounce at her again," sorry, Rena." I said just as I collided my fist into the side of her head.

I flipped back the instant she retaliated with a punch of her own. With her face still void of emotions she drew her bow again.

"Super secret awesome ice orb!" Out of nowhere a glowing blue smashed into Rena's head, releasing a puff of white smoke once broken. The white puff swallowed her whole, like a snake engulfing its prey.

I readjusted my footing and kept my eyes locked on her. The white curtain disappeared as quick as it had appeared, underneath its cover Rena stood frozen in place. Glistening ice stuck onto her legs like glue, restricting any further movement.

"Yeah, that was totally cool!" Amos entered the fight on Yang's back. He carried an open backpack in one hand and another blue orb in the other.

"Amos?" Chung lowered his fists. "What are you doing here? It's dangerous out here."

"I'm here to help," Amos slid off of Yang's back and threw another orb at Rena. This time she leaned back, allowing the orb to pass by and break on the ground.

"Eve and Raven wouldn't like that." I warned, averting my eyes back on Rena.

"They don't have to know." He dug his hand into the backpack again.

Rena aimed her bow at Amos and fired. Yang took action almost instantly. With flames engulfing its paws it leaped forward, with a single swipe the arrow burned into crisps.

"Hehe they don't have to know about that either." Amos grinned sheepishly.

With her feet now restraint Rena had no other choice than to shoot arrows at us. Yang stepped in front of Amos, countering each arrow with a blazing breath. Chung and I was left to jump away from the consecutive attacks.

A flash of white and black zipped into the chaos, the two drones drifted over Rena's head and dropped two cyan orbs on her. Streaks of lights encirlced Rena the instant the orbs shattered. She screamed, clumsily dropping to her knees from the piercing force.

"Amos, what do you think you're doing here?" Eve popped into sight, the rest of our team followed shortly behind her. They were all breathing deeply, it was evident they had encountered some demons before reaching us.

"I-I came to help." Amos steered himself behind Yang, smiling shyly. "Umm you weren't supposed to know."

"Too late for that now, kid." Raven huffed, aiming his sword at Rena. "We'll deal with that after we do something about Rena."

Upon hearing her name Rena shot an arrow at Raven, he sliced it apart before it could make contact.

In the distance I could make a blurred line of demons charging our way. Like the demons in the temple, they were all armed with weapons and armour. Several Knights plunged into the group from the sidelines, distracting only some members. There was still a good handful of demons that slipped safely by the knights and continued their rampage toward us.

"Speka and I will take care of those demons," Elsword said in haste. "You guys try to calm Rena down before joining us."

Speka and Elsword took off toward the demons in a flash. Rena tried to shoot them down along the way but Yang interfered with the attack with another blazing breath.

Rena's body blasted with a fierce green aura, the ice encapsulating her legs shattered from the surge of energy. With her new found freedom she charged straight at me, assaulting me with another chain of kicks.

Her movement was quicker than before, even with Eun's enhanced senses it was hard to keep up.

Chung charged toward her from behind. She took a quick notice at his approach and steered herself to the side and jumped back. Chung cursed under his breath and dug his feet into the ground, barely saving me from his tackle.

Raven and Eve leaped forward to confront Rena. She released a fan of arrows at the duo. Eve snapped her fingers, summoning out Oberon to negate it. With their opponent now wide opened Raven launched forward to attack.

"Shockwave Cutter!" He sliced his sword vertically in the air, generating a crescent blue light toward Rena.

She tried sidestepping but her movements were just a second too slow. The blue light hit her square on the shoulder, she staggered back from the hit. Eve aimed her open palm at Rena, a sparking blue orb leaped out from her hand and pounced on Rena.

A puff of smoke rose upon contact. Raven and Eve landed back on the ground and jumped back from Rena in sync. Chung and I went to join them—Yang also rushed in while Amos stayed behind.

With our fists and weapons raised we began to encircle Rena. She was still swallowed by the cloud of smoke but there was no doubt she remained standing. We stood our grounds and began closing in, every step felt like we were drawing closer and closer to our grave.

_Woosh!_

A fan of arrows broke through the blanket of fog and darted toward us. We barely had to react and move out of the way. Rena leaped up from the smoke, dragging trails of the fog behind her, and drew her bow back.

She aimed it at Eve, Raven instantly took action and positioned himself in front of her. Just as she was about to release the string Rena made an abrupt change in target and fired, her single green arrow flying to the only inexperienced fighter on the field.

A child's scream ripped through the air, the world around us seemed to freeze at his voice. I turned my head to where Amos was standing, my legs melting into jelly upon seeing the glowing green arrow embedded in his shoulder. The backpack in his hand dropped from his hand, thumping lightly upon hitting the ground.

Amos squeezed his eyes shut and dropped to his knees, the arrow in his shoulder breaking into bits of green light at the fall. While the arrow was free from his body the injury it left behind remained.

"I-it burns," he cried. His tiny body shaking from the new injury. "H-help."

"Amos!" Eve and Raven both dashed to him. Instantly forgetting the fight with Rena.

"Watch your backs!" A silver haired figure zipped past us and charged straight at Eve.

Eve snapped her head back but before she could retaliate the demon attacked," Evil Claw!" Giant curled claw swiped across Eve.

Raven stopped in his tracks just in time to see Eve collapsing back, he shot on arm out to break her fall. Lu giggled and leaped back," such a gentleman. You remind me so much of Ciel."

"You alright?" He asked in a soft whisper, those burning eyes never leaving Lu.

"I will be fine," Eve readjusted her footing. Once she was safely on her feet Raven released her from his grip.

"You'll pay for hurtin' Amos and Eve." Raven boomed, taking a step toward Lu.

"Wow calm down there, big fella," Lu remained firm in the spot. "I wasn't the one who hurt her. It was your good friend Rena."

I took a quick glance back at Rena. She was back on the ground, with her bow and hands resting beside her. The emptiness still remained in her eyes but she was no longer hostile. Her awfully peaceful behaviour raised red flags in my head.

"She's attacking because of you." Raven's voice tightened.

"Ew, I do not want to deal with dead souls." Lu snorted. "Go complain to Amethyst because that is not my problem."

"Eve, go get Amos to a safe place," Raven ordered softly.

"I will," she answered equally as quiet.

"I wouldn't attack Lu if I were you." Ceil's voice piped in. I snapped my head toward his voice.

He was standing merely inches behind Amos, the large blue gun resting on a single shoulder. The young Ponggo was shaking from both the injury and threat.

"R-Raven, E-Eve," he turned his glassy eyes at the duo. "H-help."

"Amos, hold on!" Elsword's voice piped in. Speka and Elsword came sprinting into sight, both with weapons raised.

Ciel swept Amos into his arms in one swift motioned and pointed his gun against the Ponggo's head—Speka and Elsword skid to a quick stop. Amos screamed in his grip and collided his tiny fists into Ciel's arms.

"Don't worry." Lu chimed over the child's cries. "We won't hurt him if you guys lower your weapons."

I glanced at Rena one last time before dropping my fists, dispersing Eun's energy in the process. Chung cursed under his breath and followed my actions. Elsword and Speka held an unwavering gaze on Ciel for a second longer before obliging.

"You promise not to hurt him?" Raven asked lowly. Ciel mutely bobbed his head in return.

Raven exchanged unsure glances with Eve before sheathing his sword. Eve signalled both her drones on the floor.

"We have our weapons down," Eve gestured around. "Now let Amos go."

Metal clanged in the distance. Cries from demons and humans howled in the background, but that wasn't enough to rip the tension falling upon us.

"We never promised to give him back," Lu giggled. Raven flared his nose reached for his sword.

"Unsheathe the sword and the child dies." Ciel placed a slender finger on the trigger. Amos yelped and squeezed his eyes shut.

Raven's jawline tightened. He curled his hand into a fist and forced it down on his side.

"We came here to deliver a message." Lu skipped idly over to Ciel's side, her silver curls bouncing with each step. "Our Master has taken quite a liking to you all. They want to see put your power to the test."

"To the test?" Eve's eyes followed Lu's every step.

"Don't worry, it doesn't involve any math." Lu flashed her a toothy grin. "Our Master wants to invite everyone here to the very top of the temple for one final fight. Isn't that exciting?"

"All demons will be ordered to let your team pass." Ciel added. If only they did that earlier.

"What's the catch?" Chung asked.

"The catch?" Lu tilted her head. "There's no catch...well unless you count the possibility of dying as one."

"And if we refuse?" Eve challenged.

"Then we kill the child and offer his soul to Amethyst." Ciel's comment made the urge to kill strengthen its grasp on me.

I cracked my bruised knuckles, wanting nothing than to sock him in the face. The nice image I had of Lu and Ciel was fading with every word they spoke.

"So this isn't even an invitation." Elsword spoke up with tense muscles. "You're here to blackmail us into going."

Lu shrugged," I guess you could call it that."

"Fine, we'll go." Raven answered in an instance. "J-just give Amos back."

"You can get him back when you come to face us." Ciel's comment made Amos break into shaking sobs. "We will reassure his well-being until then."

"I-I hate you demons!" Amos tried clawing at Ciel's arm but not even that wavered the iron grip. "Y-you are all b-bad guys!"

"We'll be waiting for you all at the temple." Lu's massive claws contracted back into small human hands. She snapped her fingers together, Rena instantly went running to her side.

"Rena-" Chung grabbed her arm but she slapped him away. His shoulders slumped as she joined the two demons' side.

"Thanks for taking care of her." Lu tilted her head at Rena. "We'll be taking her back from here on out."

The group began retreating backwards. Raven and Eve stepped forward at their movements but it was soon halted as Ciel pushed the gun into Amos' with greater force.

"Do not try to follow us if you cherish his life." Ciel warned.

"P-please help me." Amos' voice was now a soft whisper. All the fight he once had in him withered into the sea of fear. "I-I promise I-I'll be good. P-please d-don't leave m-me alone w-with them."

"Try not to take too long though." Lu winked. "Our Master might get bored and give your precious kid here a few extra scars."

With that they broke off into a sprint in the opposite direction. Amos screamed in Ciel's arms. His cries slowly drowned in the sounds of battle surging around us.


	74. 74

"What do you mean we can't go?" Elsword threw his hands in the air.

We were stationed just outside of Allegro's tent, even it was barely standing. Shreds of its cloth swayed limply with the wind, revealing the interior of the tent. Much of the base has been destroyed, leaving nothing but ripped fabrics and personal belongings sprawled on the grounds.

The few Knights that survived the attack scattered the base like ants, carrying injured friends to the medical tents while others were cleaning the littered grounds—some of the Knights stationed at the temple were called back to help with cleanup.

Lento crossed his arms," I told you, Elsword, we can't proceed any further into the temple. The base needs help and it's your job to provide that help."

"Well you said we needed to hurry it up because the Harmony Festival was coming up." Elsword shot back.

Lento huffed," Velder Knights will be arriving soon to help us. They'll also be bringing extra supplies and doctors-"

"But our friends are held captive in that temple." Elsword cut him off.

Lento tightened his jaw at Elsword's interruption but didn't comment on it any further," we can't risk walking into a trap." He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed." I'm sorry your friends have been kidnapped and I promise we will get them back tomorrow. Just stay put and help the base out."

"But-"

"That's an order." Lento snapped. Elsword tensed at his raised tone but didn't protest any further.

"C'mon," he turned himself around and gestures us to leave. "Let's go."

Silence fell between us as we walked through the ruins of the base. While our mouths were sealed our minds circled with thoughts—our imaginations roaring louder than any beast could.

"We aren't seriously going to wait, right?" Speka asked in a whisper.

"What else are we supposed to do?" Elsword hammered his fist onto his thigh. "If we climb the temple the Knights will report us to Lento."

"If we stay here A-Amos could die." Raven reminded him, his voice shaking.

"I know that," Elsword feverishly scratched the back of his head. "I-I just can't think of anything."

"What if we use the Wind Shard?" Chung's suggestion made something flicker in Elsword's eyes. "We could fly up the temple without having to deal with Knights."

"That's actually a good idea," I agreed.

"It's risky." Elsword paused as we passed a group of working Knights, each one grunting as they dragged a couple of bodies out of the way. "But I don't see any other option." He added once they were out of earshot.

"We need to decide soon." Eve piped in. "Lento will get suspicious if we continue to wander the base together."

Elsword sighed," looks like we're going with Chung's idea."

"We should get prepared," Raven suggested. "We don't know what we'll face up there and we aren't actually walking in with full energy."

"Perhaps we should not take supplies this time." Eve's comment caused a few raised brows. "We would only look strange packing items and carrying our bags everywhere."

"Right," Elsword came to a slow halt, readjusting the straps of his backpack. "I'm going to drop this thing off at my tent."

"I need to go back for my weapon so I'll come along with you." Chung piped in.

Elsword flashed a quick smile at his offer," thanks, man."

"Then we'll meet up at the outskirts of the base." Raven poked his head to the sides, making sure no one was in earshot. "Make it quick. I don't know how long it'll take before someone notices something off."

* * *

Elsword and Chung reunited with us within the span of ten minutes—a few minutes too long. A few Knights in the base pointed at us as we waited, it was only a matter of time before they told Lento. To say we were relieved to see the guys return would be a complete understatement.

With our group fully gathered we left for the temple, hopefully for the last time.

Every step along the way made my stomach twist into tighter and more convoluted knots. This could very well be a trap—the whole talk I had with Lu and Ciel could've been planned to gain my trust. Whatever the reason may be it didn't lower the stakes set up in this fight. We had one more El Shard left, our team was still shaken from Aisha's death, and it would only be a matter of time before one of us joined her.

No one spoke a word on the way there. We marched to our final fight with heavy hearts, our feet fighting against the invisible weights dragging us back.

The dark tower loomed in the distance. It taunted our every move, even the wind howled against us. Regret sunk heavily in my weakened mind the closer we drew to the temple. As the structure grew taller my desire for bloodshed deflated. Suddenly the tower we were once so eager to conquer loomed over us with menace. This time we were the targets.

"W-we're here." Elsword trailed his eyes up. The cyan jewel in his hand pulsates to life, glimmering in a soft light.

"Let's hurry." Raven drew his sword. Those golden eyes burning with nothing but the desire to kill. "Amos needs us now."

Elsword raised the Shard over his head. A burst of air encircled our feet. Yang shifted uncomfortably at the stirring air, I scratched its ear to ease its anxiety.

"Aisha would've killed us if she were here," Elsword smiled as we were swept up our feet. We gradually rose up the temple, zipping through the many floors we have and haven't captured.

"Yeah," Eve's eyes reddened but she found a way to smile regardless. "This may be our final fight together."

"Let's go out with a bang." Chung tilted his head side to side, his bones cracking along with the movement.

The top was merely meters away. The air seemed to thicken, as if it were warning us to turn back. We were too deep in this rabbit hole to turn back now.

"I'm proud to call you guys my friends." Elsword's smile wavered, but he fought back the unseen strings pulling his grin down. "Thanks for sticking with me."

"Quit making the end of the world speech, dude." Raven punched him on the shoulder. "We're gonna win this like we always do."

"Yeah," I felt my own smile form on my lips. "We saved an entire city from a giant Nasod, defeated a dragon, and reclaimed an entire kingdom for Eve. I think we can handle some pesky demons."

"She has a good point." Chung clapped me on the back. "We've faced a lot of crazy things."

"We have to keep our heads up for Amos and Aisha." Speka turned her eyes up to our approaching target. Her shoulders tensed but she never failed to drop her gaze.

Elsword nodded his head in approval. Silence returned to our company once again as we climbed the final meters. Our group shifted closer together, it was like a final comforting gesture before we plunged head first into the lion's den.

With a final burst of wind we were boosted up and over the top of the temple. Our fated battle field eagerly awaiting us below.

With a bird's eye view I took in as much of the surroundings as I could. The battle grounds was circular, it's grounds littered with debris and remains of broken pillars. A square hole was engraved near the sides, probably leading to the staircase below. Lu and Ciel, along with our friends, stood in front of a towering alter—a glowing orb swirling in shades of black and orange towered over the group. A chilling amber light bounced off from the orb and scattered the rocky surface.

"Welcome, friends!" Lu waved her hands over her head.

Everyone drew their weapons as we landed softly onto the ground.

"H-help!" Amos screamed, this time he was free from Ciel's grip but his hands were bound behind him.

"We came here as promised." Raven boomed, taking a step forward with Eve. "Now give him back to us."

"Now where's the fun in that?" Lu sang. That only made Raven's face flare with red.

"We had a deal," a vein on his neck budged from under his skin.

"And we didn't hurt him," Lu ruffled Amos' head. Amos froze at the contact but kept his glassy eyes on us. "See? He's still as cute as a teddy bear."

"Should we fight back?" Chung whispered.

"Too risky," Elsword answered in an equally quiet voice. "They could be trying to lure us into a trap."

"What do you want from us?" Eve spoke up this time. She closes her trembling a fists. "We did everything you asked for, now give us back that child."

"Calm down, lady." Lu waves her hand dismissively. "We can't get the party started without all the guests."

Shadows casted from the amber light slithered to life under our feet, like ripples of water. The black waves joined together shortly in front of the duo, forming single dark circle.

"Give a big welcome to our special guests." Lu winked.

Four black blobs rose from the dark pool. The further the figures rose the smaller the shadowy pool became, as if its dark blanket was being robbed by the new rising guests.

"Thank you for having us." A raspy voice answered.

With a snap of a finger the inky layer covering them shattered, sprinkles of black particles dripped from their bodies.

It felt like someone robbed my entire body of its strength, leaving behind only a weak and limp shell of what it was before. Behind me I heard metal clang on the stone ground, no doubt it was Elsword's doing.

Amethyst and Dutor stood side by side, both encircled with gaseous violet ghosts. On either side of the necromancers stood Aisha and Rena. The girls were both in match black cloaks and their eyes void of any emotion.

"Y-you," Elsword's voice trembled. "What d-did you do to Aisha?!"

"We brought her back from the dead," Dutor smiled. "Aren't you glad to see her again?"

"I'll make you pay for messing with my sister's soul." Speka charged forward with her staff raised high in the air.

"I like her, Amethyst, she's feisty." Dutor pointed his staff at her.

"She's all yours, lad." Amethyst nudged Dutor forward. "I'll keep the two ladies safe from here."

Dutor trudged forward, leaving our friends behind with the master necromancer himself. Several purple ghosts followed his leave while the majority stayed behind to protect the true puppeteer of the dead.

The glistening blue orb on the end of Dutor's staff glistened to life. Just as he was about to perform a spell Speka interjected.

"Mana Drain!" She raised her staff over her head. A flash of blue light swallowed both the Dutor and Speka.

The light disappeared as quick as it appeared. Speka leaped back from Dutor, who was now slumped on a single knee.

"Plasma Beam!" Speka pointed an open hand at Dutor. Five flaring red laser beams shot from her fingertips.

Dutor dropped to the ground the rolled out of the way, consequently leaving Amethyst wide open. Rena and Aisha instantly took action, blocking the incoming beams in a flurry of arrows and fire.

Speka screamed at the miss and turned her staff at Dutor," Poisonous Gas!"

A puff of murky smog erupted from the end of the staff. Dutor tries rolling away again but the poisonous gas proved to be faster. It was strangely satisfying to see Dutor's fallen figure being swallowed by the smog, injecting its body with its poisons.

Elsword charged out from behind, both swords glimmered with a cyan light. "This is for hurting Aisha!"

Elsword slashed both swords down, a trail of red and cyan light trailed behind the dual blades. Crimson red splattered on the shining blades upon contact, signifying the end of the first fight.

Maybe we will be okay. I thought. Dutor was easy enough to defeat.

"Very good," Amethyst clapped slowly. Elsword and Speka snapped their heads at him like hungry lions.

"You're next," Speka's body flared with a purple aura.

"Good, I thought you two forgot about little old me." Amethyst clasped his hands loosely in front of him. "Show me some of that power."

Elsword roared with a battle cry and sprinted toward Amethyst. Unlike Dutor, Amethyst remained on his spot. Not even bothering to try and dodge the incoming blades.

Just as the dual blades were about to contact him a wall of tree-like shadows broke out from under Elsword's feet and pierced through him. He howled with pain, slumping to his knees.

"Pathetic," Amethyst snorted. With a wave of a single hand Elsword was blown back, his fallen body skimming to a stop on the bumpy stone floor.

"Elsword!" Speka pried her eyes from Amethyst and ran to Elsword's side.

"O-ow," Elsword forced himself up to a sitting position.

"Are you okay?" Speka dropped to her knees beside him, her widened violet eyes scanning over him.

"I think," he studied his open palms for scratches.

"I expected more from your group." Amethyst's deep voice drew my attention back on him. I tightened my already closed fists. If he had a face I would punch it in.

"They were a bit disappointing." Li shrugged. "Man, here I thought we could have some fun."

"Lu, prepare the portal." Amethyst ordered. "I'll keep our guests busy."

"Portal?" Eve quoted under her breath.

What are these demons trying to do?

"It doesn't matter." Raven whispered back. "We need to get Amos back."

"R-right." Eve turned her head at Amos. He had his eyes squeezed shut, though tears continued to drizzle down.

"You two go," Chung hammered his cannon onto the ground. "Ara and I will help take care of this guy."

"Thanks, man." Raven glanced back with a smile.

Eve and Raven broke into a sprint at Lu and Ciel. Chung and I took off together toward Amethyst, and to nobody's surprised he remained firm on his spot. This time; however, we were prepared for the anticipated attack.

Yang came to an abrupt halt while Chung continued sprinting forward. Before I could urge it to continue forward a ball of fire collided into Chung, nearly knocking him to the ground.

At the corner of my eye I caught a purple figure advancing toward me. As if reading my mind, Yang maneuvered itself around and blasted a breath of fire at the target. Aisha jumped to the side, barely avoiding the blazing attack.

"Did you expect me to actually fight you guys?" Amethyst yawned. "I'd rather watch, it's too much work to fight."

I took a peek behind me. Raven and Eve were engaged in a forced battle with Rena while Lu was facing the swirling portal, she was chanting in an unknown language. Ciel stood on guard beside her, his gun was uncomfortably close to Amos' head.

"T-this is horrible." Chung grunted beside me.

"I know," my stomach twisted into knots.

There's only one way to end their suffering, but no one will like it.

Aisha raised her staff over her head, the tip of the weapon glowing with a red light. Yang tensed, preparing for another fireball.

"Sorry," Chung threw three glowing blue orbs at her, upon contact the orbs erupted in a flurry of blue smoke. She dropped her raised staff and staggered back.

_Ara, you know fighting her will not do any good._

Aisha charges forward this time, catching both Chung and I off guard.

"I'm sorry, Sis." Three consecutive purple orbs shot at her direction. Aisha came to a skidding stop but she still collided with the attack regardless.

"I-I didn't mean to." Speka stepped into battle, her staff shaking in her white knuckles.

Elsword must have let her confront Aisha. He probably thought it was best of she took part of this fight.

Once she regained her footing Aisha proceeded to shoot out a chain of fireballs at us. Chung and Speka took action right away, retaliating with missiles and dark orbs.

I was the only who didn't fight back—I couldn't fight back. Aisha wasn't fighting out of her free will, she was being controlled. I couldn't hurt her. It wasn't her fault.

_But we know who is to blame._

'I can't kill him though, Eun. Aisha and Rena will die if I do.' Tears stung my eyes at the simple thought. It tore my heart apart to imagine losing Aisha again.

_Rena expressed her suffering to you, Child. Are you truly that selfish to keep the necromancer alive; to force them to live? When did you grow so weak?_

Eun's every word stung me like acid. I could feel it's bubbling anger through my veins. The truth I wanted to run from was finally catching up with me, its warm breath snaking down my back.

I felt a small part of me die as I turned Yang around to face Amethyst. With hands still clapped and ghosts slithering endlessly around him, he appeared to be looking at me. Silently challenging me to lay a single finger on my friends' lives.

I swallowed down the lump in my throat, blocked out any hindering doubts grasping my mind, and charged.


	75. 75

Yang charged at Amethyst at full speed. Every inch we drew to our target made a small piece of me crumble into the empty darkness. I knew my blade would not just end the life of this disgusting creep, but it'll also sever the life of Aisha and Rena.

It's for the best. I remind myself. Rena asked you to do it. It's the least you can do for her.

Despite the twisting in my stomach I carried on and readied myself to pounce at the target.

Just like before, shadows seeped through the ground and shot up from beneath our feet. Yang took quick note of the assault and leaped up, safely catapulting us over the dark wall.

"Yang, help me fight." I said just before leaping off its back.

I pointed my blade down at my target. For the first time Amethyst moved, bringing along the encircling ghosts. I cursed as my blade plunged into the stone ground. Yang pounced at the Amethyst next, clawing down on him with a flaming paw.

Amethyst tried to back away from the swift attack but failed to completely fall out of range. He groaned from the hit and doubled back. The ghosts guarding him shot at Yang, forcing my Phoru back.

I cursed I pulled my spear out," Flying Kite!" With a burst of wind I launched forward.

I zipped past the Amethyst, swiping my blade across his side along the way. With a blink of an eye I was on the move again, this time aiming my blade on his glowing chest. I swiped my spear just like last time, but before it could make contact his metallic hands shot up. The end of my spear was trapped in between his hands, its sharp edge merely inches away from his chest.

"You really are a fool." He laughed.

I screamed at the unseen force pushing me back. I tumbled and rolled across the bumpy ground, indenting bruises and scrapes on my body along the way.

When I finally came to a stop I perked my head up and made a quick scan of the battle field. The portal by Lu and Ciel was growing brighter with each passing second while the fight between my friends raged on aimlessly. Rena and Aisha attacked with full force, everyone else was stuck on the defence.

"Do you not care about your friends' life?" Amethyst was drawing closer. From behind I saw Yang slowly creeping up, like a wolf stalking its prey.

I forced my eyes on the Amethyst and answered," you're keeping them here like slaves." I seethed. "They're still suffering because of you."

"Suffering?" Amethyst repeated incredulously. "They are alive. How is that suffering?"

"Their souls should be resting in peace." I shot back. "Y-you forced them to return and fight. How is that not suffering?"

"I don't know about you, laddie, but I'd rather be alive than rotting underground." Amethyst paused for a brief second. "Though death has never scared me so I suppose being dead wouldn't be that bad."

The ghosts encasing his body shifted behind him as Yang readied to pounce. Amethyst took note of the unknown presence behind him and pried his attention away from me. I took that golden opportunity to attack.

"Rock Smash!" I shot up to my feet and tackled myself into Amethyst. The aftershock of the attack blew the necromancer right into Yang.

"Arrgh!" Amethyst howled as he was swallowed with a blanket of flames. He threw himself on the ground and rolled.

I was about to launch a second attack when the ghosts hovering by him broke free and fired straight at us. I held myself back and focused on the new threat.

"Moonlight Slash!" I swiped my spear horizontally, sending a crescent shockwave at the targets. Majority of the ghosts were wiped out with that single swipe, the few that escaped were promptly singed by Yang.

"It's funny how easy you humans can kill." Amethyst chuckled. He was now up but slumped on the spot. The ends of his clothing black from the fire.

"You force us to kill," I defended. If it weren't for demons Aisha, Rena, and my parents would still be alive today.

"We?" He laughed hysterically. I arched my brow at the response but didn't comment any further. "Laddie, you'd be surprised by a lot of things."

He threw his opened hands up. A dark cloud-like object came flying out from his palms. Yang ran out of the way while I ducked. The dark mass skimming inches above my head while the air stirring from its path punched me in the face.

"What if I told you I am human?"

Something hit me on the back, it felt like someone hammered a metal bat down on my spine. I fell onto my stomach with teeth clenched from the throbbing pain.

The dark cloud-like object returned into him, funnelling back into his opened palms.

"H-human?" I tried getting up but the pounding pain held me down. The invisible weights on my back kept my prisoner on the ground.

"Well, to be fair I don't look human." Amethyst lowered his hands and hovered over to me. Yang pounced once again but was blown back by yet another unseen force.

"Yang," I wheezed, eyes trailing with it until it flew out of sight.

"You are interesting, laddie. To befriend such a loyal monster and still fight against us. That is not something you see everyday." He continued his nonchalant path toward me.

'Eun, please help me.'

_As you wish._

With a burst of new energy I jumped back up to my feet. The throbbing pain continued to hammer on my spine, but now the weights holding me down have been broken by Eun.

"Ah, I almost forgot about that demonic side to you." Amethyst clasped his hands behind him. "I must say, silver hair suits you well."

"Stop talking to me so casually," I leaped forward and plunged my spear down.

Amethyst zipped back before I could land my attack.

"Amethyst, why are you fighting against us?" I yank my spear out. "If you're really human then why are you going against us?"

He snorted," why should I tell you?"

I growled and swiped my spear at him again and again. Each swing proved to be useless. He was reading my attacks too well.

"I'll let you in on a secret though," he said, raising a single hand into the air.

I leap back as a ring of shadows burst out around him, their branch-like tendrils swiping aimlessly in the air. I let out a breath of relief and wiped my damp forehead against my sleeve.

"Think of this as advice from a wise old man." He lowered his hand, dispersing the shadows back into the ground. "Humans are cruel. They will not hesitate to hurt their own kind."

"What do you know?" I aim my blade at his chest once more.

"Whether you choose to believe me or not is none of my concern." Amethyst raised both hands again. "I only passed my knowledge down because of your strong ties to demons and monsters."

I was quick to leap out of the way this time. Then turned on my heels to face the returning cloud-like object.

I soon came to regret that decision as Amethyst launched another attack on me, pushing me back on the ground. The returning dark cloud was advancing quickly toward me. I sat there, frozen, with eyes glued on the attack that could end my life. I held my breath and braced for the final hit.

A mouth made of amber flames swallowed the cloud whole. Within the fire Yang leaped out and stood protectively beside me. Pinches of dancing flames clung onto its white fur, but it didn't appear to be doing any damage.

"Yang," I smiled. Tears stung my eyes once more, this time it was out of joy.

Yang glanced back at me, it's glistening emerald eyes peering deep into mine. Though Yang could not speak I could hear its voice through its soft gaze. Every encouragement, hope, and trust it had for me reflected in its eyes.

"Thanks, buddy." I broke eye contact and proceeded to get up. While my legs continued to trembled I refused to fall again. "I know this is our fight, Yang. Let's finish this together."

"Ugh, I hate seeing a heartwarming moments." Amethyst raised his hands again and launched another dark cloud.

Yang and I promptly split up. I circled around to the back while Yang dodged the returning attack on the other side.

"Good job on getting behind me," Amethyst snapped his fingers together.

Purple gaseous ghosts seeped from the cracks in between the stones below. I cursed to stepped back, there were at least ten spirits guarding him.

Yang proceeded to fight Amethyst just ahead. It's swift and strong attacks were mostly blocked or dodged, but I could clearly see the sluggish movements of our target.

"I need all the help I can get, Eun." I readied myself to pounce.

_Do not fear. I am ready to aid you in every way I can._

I smiled and jumped forward. With a single swipe I cleared a path for me, Amethyst's vulnerable back stared back at me on the other side.

Aiming my spear at the open target I fall forward. The remaining ghosts rushed after me in haste, but not even they could stop my advance. With all the strength I could muster I plunged my spear into his back. The necromancer frozen from the hit. Yang wasted no time to pounce one last time with flaming paws, digging a single scorching paw into his chest. His body convulsed at the hit just before falling limp.

I yanked my spear out from his back, there was no blood on its blade. Though he was down I refused to let my guards down, for all I knew he could've been faking it. It wasn't until the ghosts wailing behind went mute when I finally relaxed.

"W-we did it," I said in between breaths. "Yang, we won." I smiled, collapsing onto my knees.

Yang wagged its tail and rushed over to me, rewarding me with slobbery lick to the face. I felt the invisible weights crushing my chest lift, taking away the petrifying paranoia with it.

"C'mon, buddy." I lifted myself back up, using Yang as my support. "We should see the others."

The scene unfolding around my friends was everything but blissful. Raven and Eve were separated from the group as they fought against Ciel, even with the two of them working together Ciel managed to keep his ground. Everyone else was huddled together, witnessing their friends die a second time.

The air seemed to thicken when I arrived. Both girls were unconscious in the arms of their significant other, their weapons laid beside them. Their legs were slowly cracking and peeling into green and purple light, it was like witnessing glass shatter in slow motion. They were disappearing just as the blue demon had in the chapel.

Their blood is also on my hands. I remind myself. I'm the reason they're dying again.

_It was the right thing to do, Ara. You know it was._

Then why does it feel like I just committed a murder?

Aisha and Rena stirred. Everyone seemed to tense at their movements. Aisha was the first to crack her eyes open.

"Aisha," Elsword smiled, despite the tears cascading down his cheeks.

"Els?" She turned her dim purple eyes at him. "Hey, I missed you." Her cheeks flared with pink.

"Sis, a-are you in pain?" Speka asked, taking a hold of Aisha's hand.

"No, Sis, I feel great." She answered softly. "My legs tingle a bit but other than that I'm fine."

"W-we're gonna find a way to save you." Elsword choked on his words. "I-I promise-"

"Els, it's too late for that now." She cut him off. Her eyes welling up with tears. "I need to go now."

"Don't say things like that," his voice fell into a weak whisper. "W-we can't leave without you. I-I can't imagine a future without you."

"Please, Elsword, just let me go," she smiled. "I'm going to a better place. Trust me on that."

I didn't realize I was crying until a warm drop of water tickled the side of my face. I let it slither its way down, leaving behind a cold salty trail along the way.

Aisha turned her gaze to me. I froze, half-expecting her to yell at me for cutting her life short.

"Ara, don't blame yourself." Her gaze softened. "The road ahead is going to be tough, but please don't give up. Don't let me see you early, okay?"

Her words was like bomb, ripping apart the dam holding back all my tears. I allowed my legs to collapse, succumbing to the chest aching sobs taking over me.

"Rena," this time Chung spoke up. "Y-you're awake."

Even with my blurred vision I could see her eyes gazing upon Chung's. A warm smile was stretched on her lips.

"Chung," her voice was soft. "I'm so happy I can see you again."

"Y-you can feel emotions again?" He asked. Those broken blue eyes flaring to life again.

"I can," she snuggles closer to him. "You don't know how happy this makes me feel."

Chung tightened his grip around her, with shoulders trembling. For the first time since Rena came back I wasn't bothered. Instead I smiled along with them, celebrating the return of the real Rena.

"Oh, Ara, I must apologize for my behaviour." Rena's eyes were now on me, this time sparkling with emotions. "I'm so sorry for being such a jerk."

"It's okay," I choked on my words." I-I understand."

"I wish I got to know you earlier," a droplet of tear squeezed out from the corner of her eye. "I have so many dresses and hairstyles that would suit you."

Chung chuckled," you're the same as ever."

The soft amber light brushing the battlefield strengthened, its rays reflecting off the stones and bouncing into my eyes.

I squinted my eyes at the orange portal. Even fight between Ciel, Raven, and Eve ceased from the blinding light.

"It's done!" Lu skipped out of the portal's way. She stopped promptly behind Amos and grinned. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to introduce you all to the vengeance of the demon race."

She gestured a single hand to the portal. Right on queue a line of demons marched out, each one clad in silver armour and armed with a sword—their weapons and armour gleaming in the light. Dragon-like demons fly out from above the marching army, their screeching voices blaring up into the darkened sky.

"Oh and we're done with your precious kid now," Lu grabbed Amos by the fur on his head and flung him in the path of the demons. The enemies bared their white fangs at him, like angry animals.

"Amos!" Raven and Eve screamed.

Dropping their attention from Ciel they rushed head first to the demons. Ciel thankfully didn't go after them, instead returning to Lu's side.

Raven launched an attack at the incoming army, his attack promptly stopped the advancing troops. Eve took that chance to swoop in and took Amos into her arms.

"Raven, retreat back," Eve ordered, already sprinting her way back to us.

Raven released one last attack before running after her. The flying beasts circling above the battlefield assaulted the duo with beams of fire. They struggled to snake around the attack, it felt like every step was welcomed with a flaming missile from above. I was about to rush in to help them but a series of fireballs landed around our group, preventing anyone from escaping the circle.

Things didn't get any better when they returned. The flaming missiles continued to fall around our group. It was clear they were trying trap us in one spot. Amos screamed with each booming attack. The continuious attacks sending dust and debris airborne around us.

"T-there's too many of them." Raven coughed as he untied Amos' tight bindings in haste.

"W-we can't get out-" Elsword was cut off by another blazing attack, the ground trembled under its might.

I cursed, pinning my eyes on continuously growing army. There were at least twenty demons marching toward us, and more kept joining them each racing second.

My blood was ice cold. Invisible shackles kept me in my place as I awaited my execution from the demon army.

"C-can we use the El Shard to fight back?" Eve asked while comforting the trembling Ponggo with a tight hug.

"A-Ara, you know how to use it best." Elsword shifted Aisha to a single arm, with the other he held out the Wind Shard to me.

"R-right." I took it in my hand, it's warmth radiated onto my palm.

I held onto Yang with one hand and pulled myself up, the little courage I had coming into this fight shrivelled out of existence. Against the incoming army I felt like an ant.

Ignoring the nauseating churning of my stomach I held my hand up. The Shard pulsates to life. I held my breath and focused its energy on the advancing demons. Once sure of my targets I fired, sending a roaring wind at the army.

Ciel dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a green object. He shot his hand up in the air, the object glimmered to life in an array of green light just as it spat out a booming crescent shockwave. Before I could wrap my mind around the severity of the situation the two magical attacks collided. Each attack grinding head to head against one another. The entire temple shook from the force, clouds of dust swirling into the air from the pulsating powers.

Finally the attacks cancelled with an explosion, sending razor sharp wind and green beams flying aimlessly through the field.

"Aah!" I collapsed back as an array of green light and wind shot through me. The wind sliced through my skin as if it were made of tissue while the green light burned into my body like acid.

I heard a few of my friends cry out in pain as well along with a few demons.

"A-Ara," Chung called out to me. I fell onto Yang's soft belly. Every inch of me hurt, it was like someone was slowly cutting me up from the inside out.

The thundering footsteps accompanied with clanging of metal continued toward us. I tried helping myself up again by my legs wouldn't respond.

"We can't just sit here and do nothing." Rena wheezed, turning her head to Aisha. The girls held eye contact for a second longer before nodding.

"Aisha," Elsword's grip around her tightened as she attempted to get up. "W-what are you doing?"

"Rena and I have have a plan." She tried prying his hand off her but failed to loosen his iron grip." Please let me go."

"W-what are you guys-" Chung was cut off.

"Please, Chung," Rena turned her head from him and grabbed her bow. "This is our final wish. P-please let us help."

Elsword and Chung hesitated. The girls weakly thrashed in their grip.

"I-I'll kill you if it's something dangerous." Elsword finally released Aisha. Chung mutely mimicked his actions.

Aisha took her staff in her hand," no you won't, Els." She pecked him on the lips.

"P-promise me you won't do anything stupid." Chung grabbed onto Rena's hand.

"I promise," Rena gave his hand a tight squeeze. He smiled and released her from his grip with reluctance.

Though a majority of their legs have been broken into specks of light, the girls managed to stand, using each other as a support to stay up.

"You ready?" Rena asked Aisha.

"Yeah," she answered. "Let's finish this."

The girls shifted until they were facing the incoming army, not even flinching when blazing missiles rained around us. Their eyes burned brighter than any fire, a simple glare from them could send a bear running for its life. The demons circling above us screeched, evidently uncomfortable with their actions.

"We'll always be friends." Rena said, aimed pulling back on her bow.

"Please don't cry about us," Aisha pointed her staff in the sky.

The girls flared in their signature auras. The power burning from them rippled into the battlefield, as if making a final battle cry against the enemies. The air circled around them as their magic continued building up, the hairs on the back of my neck rose from the concentrated powers.

Elsword's face dropped into true horror," y-you two can't be-" he shot up to his feet and reached out to Aisha.

"Sorry, Els." Her purple aura stretched out, reflecting Elsword's hand away. "This is the only way."

"H-hey, let's talk about this." Chung got up to his feet next. His blue eyes silently begging Rena to stop.

"I'm so happy to call you guys my friends." Rena's aura stretched out like Aisha's, protecting her from any outside contact.

"Rena!" Chung ran to her with open arms but was pushed back by the aura.

He tumbled into the ground, shaking from both the shock and tears. "Y-you promised me you wouldn't do anything stupid!" Chung attempted to get up but his weak limbs refused to keep him up. It was heart aching to see him fall after each attempt to get up.

"Sorry, Chung, I didn't mean to lie." Rena whispered. "Please don't hate me."

"Hate y-you?" He shot his gaze up at her. "I-I could n-never hate you."

"Sis!" Speka reached out to hug her sister's legs but was promptly pushed back by her aura.

"I'm proud to call you my sister, Speka." She sniffled. "Live life to the fullest, okay? I'll be rooting you on in the afterlife."

Speka continued her pursuit to hug her sister one last time, but she was pushed back each time. It broke my heart to see her continuing to try despite knowing there's no way to penetrate that protective veil. Elsword stood in his spot, with eyes reflecting the daggers ripping his heart apart.

"I'm glad I got to see everyone one last time," Rena giggled. "Raven and Eve, be sure to take care of that little guy. I'll haunt you if you don't."

Eve tightened her grip around Amos and buried her face into his tiny shoulder. Raven wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in," I-I promise." He choked on his words. "H-he'll grow up b-big and strong."

"Good," Rena dropped her voice to a whisper. "Ara, you have a tough road ahead."

"W-what?" I said through the sobs.

"Aisha and I heard some things while we were in Amethyst's control." She elaborated quietly. "Promise me you won't blame yourself. I was tricked as well."

"R-Rena, what are you talking about?" I blinked through my burning vision.

"She isn't all bad though," Rena went on. "See if you can help her for me."

Before I could ask who _she _was they released their final attack together.

"Hunter's Destiny!"

"Elemental Storm!"

The green aura funnelled into Rena's body, veiling her entirely in a lime-green light—a purple light covered Aisha's. Both girls were now glowing silhouettes.

Rena released her bow, sending out twenty green arrows into the battle field. Some of the arrows flew into the incoming army while others shot up at the circling demons. Each one flopped down around us, instantly dead from the hit.

Aisha's attack bathed the entire field with a wave of fire, lightning rained down from the heavens and struck numerous demons, each impact left the ground shaking. Mountainous icicles broke through the stone floor and pierced into the demon army, their blade-like edges slicing through armour and tissue without fail.

Rena leaped into the air and drew back again. This time an arrow the size of a bus materialized from her fingertips. She released her fingers, the arrow flew into the remains of the demon army with a burst of wind.

The arrow swept into the remaining army, the wind following it sliced through the demons on the sidelines, killing everything in and around its path. The arrow eventually broke into particles of green light.

As the attacks ended the last of the demons spilled their blood into the pool of red, Rena and Aisha's silhouettes slumped down. Elsword and Chung scrambled to their significant other, both guys had their faces damp with tears.

Their hands reached out to them, eager to have their lover in their arms one last time. Everything seemed to go in slow motion. I saw their hands lay on the respective girl's shoulder, but just as the longing contact was finally made Aisha and Rena's body shattered into light. Tiny particles of green and purple showered us, each speck felt warm to the touch. Bigger masses of light danced up into the starless sky, celebrating the new home awaiting them beyond the clouds.

Chung and Elsword both fell forward into the sprinkle of lights. Their hands curled into tight balls on the ground and shoulders trembled with each painful breath.

Rena and Aisha were finally at peace, but we were still going through Hell.

**I listened to "Safe and Sound Taylor Swift cover by Tiffany Alvord and Megan Nicole" while writhing Rena and Aisha's final fight. I think it suits them really well. It kinda seems like they're singing it.**


	76. 76

Everyone was a sobbing mess. I sat silently against Yang. Not only was I suffering through physical pain but now I'm forced to endure emotional torture. I locked my eyes on the duo at the foot of the alter, they were both pale from the fallen army. The portal behind them continued to stir. A crimson mess stretched in front of them, the blood of the fallen blending together as one red pool.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to kill them or torture them. Everything emotion hammering against my mind all felt the same. I was numb but even then the warm tears continued to rain down.

"They eliminated the army as expected." Ciel said. His voice made Chung and Elsword snap their heads up.

"Who knew those two still had it in them?" Lu softened her voice. "They deserve to die after killing so many demons."

"How could you two be so cruel?" Elsword forced himself up, his legs trembling under his weight.

Lu shrugged," blame it on your kind. If it weren't for humans we wouldn't have to resort to this."

"You're all monsters." Elsword drew his swords trudged forward, his blades scraping against the cracked stone floor. "If demons didn't exist Aisha would still be here."

"If humans didn't exist my mistress' family would still be alive." Ciel aimed his gun at Elsword.

"P-please stop fighting, Elsword." Speka pleaded, but he was already too far to hear her.

"I'll kill them," Chun shot up to his feet and aimed his cannon.

"I would be careful of your actions." Ciel promptly changed his target and fired. The flash of blue hit Speka on the shoulder. She wailed and slumped down. Elsword froze on the spot.

"Aish—I-I mean Speka!" Elsword turned to look at her. His face was white as snow.

"I-I'm alive." She broke into sobs. "I-I'm o-okay."

Chung cursed and dropped his weapon. There was nothing else we could do to retaliate. We were weak, tired, and hurt. If we tried to fight we would just be digging our own graves.

The ground trembled once again.

Lu put on a wicked smile on her face. Elsword staggered back and raised his swords up, each weapon shaking in his grip.

A demon, probably the size of a house, stepped out from the portal. It's sky-blue eyes scanning over us like animals in a zoo. Muscles bulged from its chest and arms. It dragged its husky arms behind it, razor sharp claws extended from its fingers. The demon looked as if it was clad of blue armour, it's face, legs, back, and hands were veiled in a navy blue shell; leaving its white underside exposed. Glowing blue markings extended from its eyes and wrapped around its face—even the back of its hands were imprinted with them. White fur wrapped around its wide shoulders, giving it an illusion of a hood.

The demon roared, revealing the tiny fangs lined in its mouth.

I truly understood the feeling of fear at that moment. Every inch of my being screamed at me to run but my legs and arms was already drained of strength. I could hardly breathe, every time I tried to take a breath an invisible wall kept the air from entering my lungs. The remains of my stomach crept up my throat. I snapped my mouth shut and swallowed, barely pushing down the contents to its rightful place.

"Welcome back, Berthe." Lu waved at it. "Our Master has worked hard to free you."

"Oh?" Berthe set its eyes on Elsword. Its pink tongue trailed along its mouth. "Would your master be a human?"

"Human? Now that's just insulting." A voice blared in the distance.

In an instant the field was swept in a bone chilling aura. It was strong enough to make even lions tremble in fear. The guilt and pain I had pounding in my head seemed to intensify, the physical pain I was enduring was like a tickle compared to the acidity of my thoughts.

Something flew over our heads, sweeping up dust and debris along the way. The human-like figure stopped promptly in front of Berthe, closed fists rested on their sides. Black silky wings extended from its back and horns arched out from its head. It hovered above the ground, ends of the red scarf around its neck waved along in the passing breeze.

I felt a small part of me die upon closer inspection of the new enemy.

"So you're the Master, eh?" Elsword leaped into the air and slashed down.

Ciel was quick to act and shot Elsword twice in the shoulders. Lu leaped up next, her hands morphing into a demonic claw, and punched him back.

"N-no!" Eve screamed as Elsword came to a skidding stop by Speka, Amos cried along with her. Raven whispered something their ears before pulling them both into a hug.

"E-Elsword," Speka paced a shaking finger on the side of his neck. "H-he's still alive."

Eve perked her head up, her eyes withered of hope," h-he is?"

"For now," Chung reminded her. He picked his canon up and aimed it at the Master. This time Ciel aimed his gun at me, Chung tensed at the new target.

"Berthe, I understand the unfair treatment you received from humans." The Master went on, her voice ripped of any warmth. "Join my forces as we fight to take back everything they stole from us."

"Everything?" Berthe tilted its head. "Do you have such a power?"

She extended one of her hand out to the demon," this is just one of the treasures I've obtained." Berthe's eyes widened at the thing in her hand.

"In that case, my troops will aid you in any way we can." Berthe bowed its head. "How may I address you?"

"I go by many names." The winged demon turned around to face us. Her scarlet red eyes piercing at me like a sword. "My favourite name is Scarlet, a friend once told me it fit the colour of my hair."

Friend, that word burned into my ears like a tattoo. Every moment I shared with Scarlet came back to me like a flying brick, each laugh and secret we shared punched me in the head. I was dizzy, not only from the blood pounding in my ears but from the lies now laughing at me.

"Wouldn't you agree with me, Ara?" Scarlet smirked.

_I knew there was something off about her! _

All heads turned to me. I could feel the emotions radiating from their gaze. Their blazing anger burned holes through me, their sadness soaked me in icy water, and their hurt sliced into my chest like daggers. I felt the grip on my spear and El Shard drop, I allowed both items to roll onto the bumpy ground.

"Y-you know her?" Chung's voice came out weak.

"Ara, is this true?" Eve narrowed her eyes on me. Even Amos had turned himself around to face me.

"Ara isn't a bad guy, Eve." He urged." She's good."

"W-we can't be sure." Raven trembled, I couldn't tell if it was from anger or shock.

"I-I know she's good." Amos pushed Raven's hand off. "You worked with her to save me and Agatha. Y-you know she's good."

Raven didn't answer. He simply dropped his gaze and cursed under his breath.

"Ara," Elsword shakily helped himself up, using Speka as a support. He landed those cold red eyes on me, all that was written on his face was bloodshed. "I'm gonna kill you."

"Don't," Speka hugged him, barely holding him back from charging at me. Frankly I didn't really care if he charged at me. It would've help me escape from here. "P-please, Elsword, no more fighting."

"I'm gonna kill that dirty traitor!" He trashed.

"S-she wouldn't be friends with that demon." Speka tightened her grip on him. "I-I know she wouldn't."

"I don't believe it!" He spat.

"C-calm down, man." Chung piped in. He shuffled his way toward me, stopping until he was directly in front of me.

"T-tell him, Ara." Speka cried. "T-tell him you d-don't know that demon."

"T-that demon is j-just playing with our minds." Chung placed his hands firm on my shoulders. "R-right? Y-you wouldn't be friends with h-her, right?"

I opened my mouth to answer but nothing came out. I could lie to them but Scarlet knew the truth. She probably had some way to prove me wrong, but if I told the truth they would hate me forever.

"Ara, say something." Chung's blue eyes were now desperate. He shook me, as if trying to wake me up from this nightmare—how I wish everything here was a dream.

"Yes, Ara, tell them about our meeting in Altera." Scarlet sang from behind. "Tell them all the jokes we shared at the graveyard and the promises we made."

"T-tell me that's not true." Chung's grip tightened. I could already picture the bruises forming on my shoulders. "I-I need to hear it from y-you. P-please tell me t-that's not true."

I dropped my head down," s-sorry, Chung. S-she's right."

He cursed, lifting his hands off me. I wrapped my arms around myself and bawled. After this I'll never be able to feel his warmth again—the friends I made wouldn't think of speaking with me again.

"Oh poor thing," Scarlet cooed. "Let me fulfill the promise we made together."

Something stirred behind me. Before I had a proper chance to react a hand grasped onto my hair and lifted me away. The only people who called out to me was Amos and Chung.

"_Oof!_" I landed onto my stomach. Thankfully I wasn't dropped into the pool of blood.

"Are you sure we shouldn't kill her, Karis?" Aren's voice sounded by her.

"I can't kill my friend, dear." She answered. I grit my teeth at the way she addressed him. "Especially not after her friends abandoned her."

"What do you want?" I growled. My burning eyes followed her as she descended in front of me.

"I'll let you in on a little secret, Ara." Scarlet—Karis or whatever her name was whispered. She descended from the sky and landed in front of me. "Your group of _friends _and allies did a wonderful job at awakening the Shard's power."

She held out a closed hand and uncurled her fingers. In her palm sat a dark purple orb. The power pulsating from it made goosebumps rise on my arms.

"The Dark Shard feeds off negativity. Your team did an excellent job at feeling sad, jealous, and even angry. Its powers are finally awakened."

I shot my hand out to take it, but before I could Karis closed her fist. My hand clamped around hers.

"If you wish to feel its power so badly then just say so." Karis giggled.

I didn't get a chance to reply as a the Dark El's power shot up my arm and travelled down. I screamed as its powers coursed through my body like electricity. I found myself falling limply to the ground once the attack had run its course. Sweat made my clothes stick to my body like a second layer of skin.

"Oops, I went a bit overboard there." Karis retreated the Shard behind her. "Well I apologize for hurting you and that fox-demon."

How did she know about Eun?

"This human houses a demon?" Berthe asked.

"Yes," Karis answered. "I've been observing her for a long time now. The bond she shares with monsters and demons are truly fascinating."

'Eun, I'm sorry for not listening to you.'

_It is too late for apologies, Child. For now we must focus on getting out alive._

"Berthe, I shall explain my plans to you back at my base." Karis turned her back to me.

"Very well, Master Scarlet."

"Just call me Karis. Scarlet will only be reserved for Ara." She explained.

_We must get that El Shard back. If we have two on our side the chances of winning will be greatly increased._

'Do you think we are strong enough to fight back?'

_If we combine our strengths we should have just enough power to fight back. We will be in trouble if her allies fight back as we are both drained from our injuries._

'But it's better than doing nothing.'

_Correct._

Eun's power, though weaker than usual, surged through my veins. Despite the burning from my many cuts and the blood oozing from my opened wounds, I still found the strength to fight.

"Tiger Claw!" I shot up and swiped my hand across Karis' back. Crimson red flashed onto her exposed back. She stumbled forward to only be caught by Ran.

Eun and I leaped back at the incoming blue bullet. Ciel and Lu positioned themselves protectively in front their Master.

"Come at me!" I raised my fists up.

"Ran," Karis pushed herself off his arm. "Be a dear and knock her out please."

"What about us?" Lu asked with eyes still glued on me.

"Stay by my side." She ordered. Turning herself around, those sharp eyes burning with hate.

Aren promptly jumped forward and landed merely meters away from me. My legs threatened to buckle beneath me but I refused to fall.

"You're brave, kid." He raised an open hand in the air. A spear, darker than the midnight sky, materialized into his hand.

"You," I forced my shoulders back. "W-who are you?"

He smiled and swung his spear down, I barely had time to move away," my name is Ran." He answered, yanking his blade from the ground.

So he isn't Aren. I thought with a sigh. Then I know I can kill him.

I launched forward with my eyes set on his neck. All I had to do was rip through his throat, the battle would be finished with a snap of a finger.

"Though I do remembering inheriting the name _Aren_ in the past." He spun his spear in his hand with a toothy grin.

Shivers snaked down my spine as my heart fell into the depths of my stomach.

Aren took that chance to stab his spear into my shoulder—I didn't do anything to try and avoid the hit.

The blade of the spear forced into my shoulder, its sharp edges burning into my flesh. I cried out at the impact, tears squeezed out from my eyes.

He pulled the spear out and collided his foot into my stomach. I stumbled back and fell onto my back, hitting my head on the stone surface along the way. I forced myself up again but was welcomed with a merciless dizzy spell, the ground seemed to shift underneath me. Aren's blurry image marched toward me, his bone chilling gaze burning holes into me.

"Be grateful I was not ordered to kill you." He raised his spear over his head.

_Ara, fight back!_

'How can I? He's my brother. How can I lay a finger on him?'

_If you will not fight then I will._

"No!" I raised my hand up to the hairpin, but before I could pull it out Eun stopped me.

_Ara, this is for the best. _Eun growled.

"I can't hurt him," I forced myself to fall on my side, with a single hand still stuck between me and Eun's control.

_Stop being so stubborn._

"Stop forcing me to kill my only brother!" I shot back.

Eun continued to fight for control but I refused to give in. We were too busy with each other to notice how close Aren advanced to us. I caught a quick glimpse of his dark figure looming over us, the loose grip I had on my body nearly slipped from his abrupt appearance.

A blur of white leaped over us and attacked Aren with a burst of flames. Eun ceased its fight for control once it was sure we were no longer in danger.

Aren cursed and doubled back. Yang stood protectively in front of us, growling with flaming paws.

"Y-Yang," I smiled. Warmth filled my chest knowing I still had it supporting me.

"A monster?" Aren hesitated to raise his spear against it.

Yang took that as a sign of threat and blew out a line of fire at him. He side stepped, the ends of his hair singed from the passing fire.

Marching footsteps sounded behind us. I cursed and snapped my head back, only to be greeted by an incoming army of knights led by Elesis.

"There they are," she pointed her massive sword at the demons. "Let's take them down."

The Knights roared with a battle cry and charged forward. Their thundering footsteps blending into one.

"Master, you should leave." Lu urged. "We can't risk losing an El Shard here."

Karis scowled," we would've had Ara in our hands if it weren't for that damn Phoru." She flew into the air once more. The Shard in her hand glistening to life.

"This creature will pay for going against my wishes." She pointed her finger at Yang and fired a dark sword-shaped beam.

"Yang, move!" I ordered, but Yang refused to budge. If it moved it meant the attack would hit me, and frankly I was okay with that. "Yang, j-just move. I'll be okay." Yang grunted at my request.

Yang stood firm on its ground and blew out swirling flames at the dark sword. The fire ate the weapon whole. I held my breath, praying that the fire managed to scorch the attack into ashes.

The weight of the world fell in my chest the instant I saw that dark blade cutting through the blazing curtain.

"Move!" I grabbed a chunk of its fur and yanked to the side, but not even that was enough to push my furry friend out of the way.

A splatter followed by a weak whimper sounded as the blade dug into Yang's back. Yang's body convulsed, black sparks swam through every inch of my precious Phoru. I screamed and pleaded for the attack to stop, but nothing seemed to be helping my friend. Finally the sparks stopped and Yang dropped motionless on the ground.

I sat there with widened eyes. My heart was punching my chest, faster and harder than ever before.

"Karis!" Lu shrieked. "Y-you killed a Phoru."

This was all a dream—it had to be a dream. Life wasn't that cruel. Was it?

"It got in my way, Lu." Karis answered nonchalantly. "I had no choice."

No, no, no, this isn't real. This can't be happening. This had to be a nightmare—it must be.

"B-but still," she dropped her voice to a whisper.

"Ran, fetch the girl. We are leaving now."

"Y-Yang," I crawled closer to my friend, my arms trembled under my weight. Reaching out I gently scratched it behind its ear, it was still warm to the touch.

"I-I can't be losing y-you." I wrapped my arms around it, ignoring the burning in my shoulder. The tears enslaved me within seconds. "P-please don't leave."

"Get away from her," Elesis charged over and clashes weapons with Ran. Their weapons clanging together.

Karis cursed," Ran, return to me. We can get the girl another day."

"What can I do?" Berthe asked.

I felt the Shard's powers rippling onto the battlefield. There was no doubt she was powering it up.

"Ciel, do the same with your Shard." She ordered shortly.

Elesis screamed as she was thrown back, giving Aren enough time to return to Karis' side.

"I expect nothing but success from this fight," Karis added sternly.

I zoned out from the battle raging on around us, the tremors of the battlefield meant nothing to me. All that mattered was the dying friend around my arms. Several Knights ran up to me and urged me to leave, but I didn't move. I couldn't leave Yang behind, not after the price it paid for me.

Yang grew more cold as time raced by. I was quite literally feeling its life energy seep away from my fingertips. I stuffed my face into its fur and bawled. The tears were endless, the more I cried the harder the sobs came out.

"Elesis, it's too strong." A Knight's voice boomed beside me. "W-we lost half our troops."

Elesis cursed," already? How's Elsword?"

"W-we escorted your brother and his friends down, b-but we still have her."

Someone sheathed their sword," i-in that case we can't keep going. I'm calling for a retreat, I need you to spread the word." She ordered.

"B-but the girl."

"Is that Phoru still alive?"

The knight paused for a second,"n-no."

"Then let me handle her. You just focus on helping with the retreat; do I make myself clear?"

"Y-yes, m'am."

I tightened my grip around Yang. I didn't want to be separated from it. I couldn't let myself be away from my friend.

"Sorry, kid." Elesis sighed.

Her rock-hard foot collided into my head, making my senses blend into one big mess. The iron grip I had around Yang wavered. I wanted to scream at her to leave me alone but I couldn't mutter a single word.

"We're bring you to a safe place." She swept me up in her arms and ran.

My head spun with each step she took.

Knights around us cried out to their remaining friends to fall back.

The darkness was slowly washing over me, numbing me from any further pain from the outside world.

"M'am, w-why are we leaving so fast?" A booming voice flared from my right. Pain shot through my skull at its volume.

"We lost too many Knights." She answered, her voice sounded so distant from me.

"A-already? But we just started."

"I-I don't want to retreat either, rookie." She answered. My eyes began to drop with each spoken word. "But we don't have a choice. We lost this fight."

Then the world went silent.

**Before someone types aggressively about the ending read the author's note in the next "chapter". **


	77. Author's Note

_Do you want to grow stronger? Accept me if you desire growth…! Together with me…. You'll be able to overcome your destiny and trials!_

_~ Eun_

**Yin Yang is finally over, but that doesn't mean the story itself it done. A second book, Silver Lining, will be released to continue the story...that will probably come out in September or October.**

**Now before someone chews my head off for making it a late release allow me to explain.**

**Writing these stories are NOT easy. I spend at least five hours writing each chapter, editing time varies on chapter length/quality, and it weeks to plan (still not too good at that tbh). I'm also experimenting with new planning strategy for Silver Lining hence the extra long wait.**

**I was gonna upload the next and final story but I decided to hold that off. Right now I want to focus on this story and make it the best I can, that means revised chapters will be coming throughout this month. So if you wanna reread I'll hopefully have some improved chapters for you to enjoy (hopefully).**

**Also (if anyone was wondering) the reason why I'm writing a second book instead of just continuing the story in Yin Yang is for two reasons. First, if I kept everything in one book this thing would easily exceed 100 chapters, and that's like quite an intimidating story to new readers. Second, the mood of Silver Lining is drastically different from Yin Yang. It wouldn't make much sense to mix a more serious and dark mood in with this book. **

**Random facts about this story because why not?**

**-Originally Speka was supposed to die instead of Aisha, but I didn't like how it would only impact Aisha and Ara.**

**-The first chapter was written on Dec 24 2014**

**-This was the first fanfiction I wrote with a couple I didn't just look at and thought "huh, they look good together. Let's ignore all the back story and force them together!" I thought Ara's connection with Ran would make an interesting relationship with Chung.**

**-Ara's class was supposed to be Yama Raja, but I thought Sakra Devanam suited the story theme better.**

**-At first Amos was not supposed to join the group. I wanted to leave him behind in Altera but I liked him too much to not let him join. It also gave Raven and Eve a better reason to keep fighting.**

**-Yang was not supposed to die at all, but in the end I decided it would be a perfect set up for Silver Lining.**

**-It shouldn't surprise anyone to hear Yin Yang has one major theme about good and evil, but this is not the main theme of the story. The main theme is pretty hidden but will become more evident in Silver Lining. I'm curious to see if anyone can figure it out.**

**-I enjoyed writing Lu's character the most. Raven's character was the hardest to write but in the revised chapters I plan to give him more personality (hopefully they go according to plan).**

**-Speaking of characters, Ara's character reflects a bit of who I am. If I could fight like her I would be running head first into danger. This is why I do not live in a world of magic :')**

**-I loved writing the "Feita Arc" while I hated writing the Bethma one. Tell me which one you enjoyed the most/least. I'm curious to see what people think. **

**Well that concludes Yin Yang. This story wasn't as popular as Thousand Heart Beats but I had the most fun writing it. Thank you all so much for sticking around for 75 long chapters. **

**Until next time, stay awesome :)**


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